


Young Justice: The Heroic Age

by TheIronSamurai (Veritatis_Stilus)



Category: Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: F/F, F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-24
Updated: 2017-11-25
Packaged: 2019-02-06 10:52:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 10
Words: 92,432
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12815976
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Veritatis_Stilus/pseuds/TheIronSamurai
Summary: The twenty-first century is a time for heroes. Powerful beings and mere mortals come together to fight for the same cause: a better world. Now, as the Justice League comes under threat from a shadowy enemy, a new generation of heroes must step up and take up the fight their mentors began. An AU, with original storylines woven together with adapted characters.





	1. Today's the Day

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own Young Justice, DC Comics, or any related characters. I'm merely borrowing them for creative purposes. Enjoy!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Four years after the founding of the Justice League, four young heroes gather at the Hall of Justice for what they believe is an initiation into the Justice League itself. When things take a turn for the worse, they will step up and become something more than their mentors had expected.
> 
> Dawn: Part 1 of 5

**SECTION I: DAWN**

Chapter 1: Today’s the Day

* * *

GOTHAM CITY  
JULY 4, 12:00 EDT  
2020 

Gotham City Park was truly alive on this most special day. Dozens of families were grilling out in the beautiful weather, the smell of hot dogs and hamburgers wafting through the green space. One family, the Jones, had taken up a position under one of the many trees in the park. Mr. Jones flipped burgers on the grill while his wife sunbathed next to their teenaged daughter. Their son, Caleb, was off somewhere fooling around with his friends. Mr. Jones stood back and looked for his son in the crowds, eventually finding him a few families over. Sighing loudly, he put down his spatula and walked over to get his young son.

Without a word, he grabbed Caleb by the wrist and dragged him towards their grill. “Caleb, how many times do I have to tell you…” His retort faded away as he heard the sounds of screaming coming from somewhere ahead of them. What he saw made him blanch white as a sheet. “Mary…” He turned to his son and shoved him gently in the other direction. “Caleb, run!”

As his boy ran off, Mr. Jones ran towards the rest of his family, both of whom had earbuds in and couldn’t hear the commotion. The whirring of a weapon powering up only made Mr. Jones run faster to save his family. Reaching them in a matter of seconds, he yanked the earbuds out of their ears and screamed. “RUN!” Confused for a moment, the two women turned their heads to the right, their eyes widening in fear.

A man in an armored suit, carrying some sort of weapon attached to a backpack, strode calmly through the crowd. The weapon belched cold fire, freezing anyone in its path. The man’s expression was furious, his whole body shaking with rage, firing on the crowd in a blind fury. “WHERE IS SHE? WHERE IS NORA?” The supervillain turned his gaze on the next family in his path: the Jones. He leveled his cold gun at the terrified family, the barrel glowing blue as it powered up. “Oh, enjoying family time? My family has other plans.”

Mr. Jones shielded his family with his body in a futile attempt to save them. Freeze watched with apathy as he targeted the three cowering in fear. Suddenly, his shot went wide as a Batarang knocked his cold gun away. The Jones watched in awe as the spear of icy flame lanced out to engulf the nearby tree. An echo of cackling could be heard through the park, a young boy laughing at Mr. Freeze’s misfortune. “Batman…” Freeze raised his weapon up again, now on the lookout for the Dark Knight.

Suddenly, a small figure, dressed in an unforgettable uniform, soared down towards Mr. Freeze, planting both feet on the villain’s helmet. The force of the kick was staggering, forcing Freeze to back up as a web of cracks began to form. Robin, laughing at the ice man’s misfortune, effortlessly rolled into a somersault to land behind the villain. He flung two of his Batarangs, which took the appearance of red discs, at Freeze’s exposed backpack. The attack was useless, the projectiles bouncing off the armored suit and doing no damage.

Still, Freeze’s attention was now solely on the young hero. “Robin. The Bat sent you to drag me off to prison?” The villain, undaunted by Robin’s damage to his suit, charged up his weapon again. Robin stood boldly in place, interposing himself between Freeze and the now fleeing Jones. Mr. Freeze continued with his monologue, focusing his attention entirely on the Boy Wonder. “Frankly, I’m underwhelmed.”

Robin’s smirk vanished, replaced with a look of vague irritation. “Great, but I’m kind of in a hurry here.” He made no move to attack, still standing at ease even as Freeze’s cold gun powered up with a whine. Freeze chuckled and prepared to fire on the acrobatic hero. “Kids--always in such a rush.” His finger nearly depressed the trigger until a familiar shadow fell over him. At the same time, Robin smirked. “Not talking to you.”

Freeze’s eyes widened as he whipped around to confront his new attacker. The Batman descended from the daytime sky like a vengeful god, waiting to dole out punishment to those wicked persons who had earned it. And Freeze was certainly a candidate. Before he could raise his weapon to defend himself, the supervillain’s helmet shattered as the Caped Crusader dealt a powerful blow to the glass casing. Freeze passed out almost immediately, only remaining conscious long enough to see Robin take his place at Batman’s side.

* * *

STAR CITY  
JULY 4, 09:01 PDT  
2020

It was early in the morning in Star City, but as usual, the Glades were far more lively than its sister neighborhoods in the sleepy city. Crime never slept, much to the consternation of Star’s citizens. However, they could take comfort in one thing: its heroes. For years now, the city had been under the protection of the Green Arrow, who was then joined by a number of other vigilantes over the course of his tenure as Star City’s guardian. The citizens of Star had nothing to worry about: as long as the Emerald Archer protected their city, no great harm may befall them.

Even that morning, the archer and his team were hard at work, trying to stop two gangs from igniting a deadly war in the inner city. In a warehouse deep in the Glades, Green Arrow rolled behind cover as at least a dozen gangsters opened up with automatic weapons. Bullets pinged off the floor and walls of the expansive space, but the archer was safe behind several crates. He tapped his chest, opening a channel to the rest of his team. “Spartan, Speedy, you’re up.”

Two gangsters suddenly collapsed like puppets with their strings cut, with another three slowly falling to the ground as arrows with red fletching, carrying a tranquilizer payload, pierced their shoulders. The remaining gang members whipped around to fire, allowing Green Arrow to fire off an arrow of his own into the crowd. Tapping a button on his wrist guard, the hero smirked as the powerful magnet mounted on the arrow yanked the guns right out of the gangsters’ hands.

Two other heroes leapt out of cover on the other side of the warehouse, sprinting towards the now weaponless thugs. One, a teenaged male dressed in a red protective suit similar to his mentor’s, had slung his recurve bow over his back and drew two eskrima sticks strapped to his lower legs. The other, wearing black leather clothing over an armored chest plate complete with a silver mask, simply resorted to using his fists to fight his opponents. The two dove into the crowd of waiting gangsters, dealing several decisive blows to many of them. Green Arrow smiled as he fired into the crowd, dropping two more thugs with non-lethal arrows.

In about twenty seconds, it was over. Speedy smacked one last thug to the ground with a powerful blow, just as Spartan released a now unconscious man from his chokehold. Green Arrow tapped his chest again to open a radio channel. “Overwatch, is the area secure?”

A crackle of static washed over the line before a familiar voice answered. “You’re looking good Arrow. Police are on their way to collect the suspects.” Green Arrow nodded as he walked to join his teammates. “Roger that, Overwatch. Over and out.” He closed the channel just as Speedy walked up to him. The boy was frowning, a common look on the young hero’s face, much to his mentor’s enjoyment.

“Can we go now? Today’s the day.” Oliver smirked at his protégé, who was now nervously playing with his eskrima sticks. He turned to his other teammate, who was cuffing the gangsters together. “Dig, you good to stay here by yourself?”

John Diggle, otherwise known as Spartan, retracted his visor and smiled. “Yeah, you two go ahead. Wouldn’t want to keep the kid waiting. It’s a big day.”

* * *

PEARL HARBOR  
JULY 4, 06:02 HST  
2020

Pearl Harbor, the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, was once again helpless against a surprise attack. However, unlike in 1941, these attackers came from the sea, not from the sky, and were not interested in destruction, but rather information. The two Manta Subs had surfaced near the aircraft carrier _USS Nimitz_ , disabling nearby weapon systems with a localized EMP. Nearly thirty Manta troopers had boarded the ship, aiming to hack into its databanks for undoubtedly nefarious purposes. Fortunately for the overwhelmed military forces onboard, they were not alone in the fight.

Aquaman smacked a Manta trooper to the ground, breaking the soldier’s rifle in half over his knee. Behind him, his young protégé, Aqualad, lashed out at two other troopers with whips formed from his water bearers. His tattoos glowing bright blue as he wrapped the water whips around the troopers’ rifles, he let out a shout as he yanked the weapons from their grasps and tossed them into the ocean. Aquaman smiled warmly and turned to his protégé. “Don’t tell me you’re not excited.”

Aqualad responded quickly, ducking a particle blast from a rifle. “Right now, my king, I’m more focused on the matter at hand.” He let Aquaman deal with the disarmed troopers as he turned his whips into a shield in order to protect himself from another three troopers’ rifles. As the particle blasts slammed into his hard-water shield, the teenager felt himself being pushed closer and closer to the edge of the flight deck.

Stretching his magic to its limit, Aqualad summoned more water from the lagoon below. Sweat dripping down his face as he rolled to the side, the young hero swung his water bearers to the left to direct the torrent of seawater towards his opponents. All three Manta troopers yelled as the water, solidified by Aqualad’s magic, knocked them off their feet. Aqualad sheathed his water bearers and knelt down to touch the trail of water between him and his three opponents, who were still recovering from the previous attack.

His black tattoos, made in the shape of eels, crackled with electricity as he channeled his magic through them. The water electrified, knocking the Manta troopers out with a powerful shock. His tattoos fading from a glowing electric-blue to their normal black, Aqualad stood up as his mentor dealt a powerful blow to the last remaining trooper. The Atlantean king turned once more to his protégé. “Well?”

Aqualad smiled, his usually calm and respectful demeanor falling to the wayside. “Yes, I’m excited. Today’s the day.”

* * *

CENTRAL CITY  
JULY 4, 11:03 CDT  
2020

“Uncle Barry, you’re killing me here.” Wally West groaned and banged his head against the desk. Barry Allen, momentarily distracted from his work, turned back to the workstation, where he was inputting data into a program he had been working on for quite some time. The younger metahuman raised his head back up, pouting like a child deprived of his toys. “Come on, can’t that wait?”

Barry chuckled as he typed in a few commands. “Wally, you know what I’m working on is important. As much as Doctor Wells and Cisco have helped, Gideon is my brainchild. She still needs a lot of work before she’s good enough to actually use.” Wally simply responded with another groan as three familiar faces walked into the cortex.

Two were walking, while the third was in a motorized wheelchair. The first walker, a pretty brunette wearing what could be described as the attire of a middle school principal under a white lab coat, smiled at Wally as she entered the room. “Hey Wally.” Doctor Caitlin Snow passed Wally to enter into the mini-laboratory behind him, preparing to go over a few samples from their latest metahuman encounter. The second, wearing his classic Darth Vader T-shirt and jeans, walked up to give Wally a fist bump. “What’s up, Wall-man?” Despite his bad mood, Wally couldn’t help himself and returned the favor, bringing Cisco in for a bro-hug. “It’s good to see you Cisco.”

Cisco pulled back with a wide grin and went up to help Caitlin with her work. The third and most prominent figure of the three rolled up to Wally, smiling softly at the teenager. “Mister West, how are you doing today?” Doctor Harrison Wells, the director of STAR Labs-Central City and one of the smartest men on the planet, adjusted his glasses as he leaned back in his wheelchair. Wally shrugged and answered while glaring at an oblivious Barry. “Well, it could be going better.” Doctor Wells chuckled as he followed Wally’s gaze. “Well, give him some time. I’m sure he’ll remember soon enough.” At that, Wally only groaned for a third time.

Suddenly, a tone from one of the computers at Barry’s workstation got everyone’s attention. His head pivoting to read the alert, Barry’s eyes widened. “We’ve got a robbery at 16th and Prescott. Suspects…” He trailed off, his mouth now set in what Cisco had determined his “game face.” In a flash of yellow lightning, Barry changed into his Flash suit. “Wally, suit up. Girder is back.”

Wally grinned like a maniac. “Finally, some action.” In a burst of super speed, he ran over to the display case housing his suit and changed as quickly as he could. As soon as he was done, he raced out of the building towards the crime scene. Looking over to his left, he saw his uncle casually running along, not even putting in the slightest effort. ‘At one point, he wasn’t running much faster than me.’ Sighing, Wally laid on more speed as they zoomed towards Girder’s last known position.

They found it soon enough, with several police officers taking cover behind their cars as the metahuman rampaged with two duffel bags tucked securely under his arms. Both speedsters stopped about a block out, trying to formulate some kind of plan. Wally decided to move in, but was held back by Barry. “Wait. I need you to get the cops out of here. I’ll handle Girder.” Kid Flash groaned but followed his mentor’s orders.

Kid Flash zoomed off in a yellow streak, moving each police officer several blocks away from the fighting. Out of the corner of his vision, he could see his mentor running in a circle around an angered Girder. Eventually, Wally had managed to move all eight cops away, and decided to sprint back to the fight. When he got there, all he saw was Girder, unconscious and in his human form, smoking slightly as Flash slowed to a halt. Wally sighed and asked one question. “So can we go now? Today’s the day.”

* * *

WASHINGTON, D.C.  
JULY 4, 14:00 EDT  
2020

Just south of the Reflecting Pool on the National Mall stood a building that had only recently been refurbished. Once a museum, it was now headquarters to a group unlike any other before it: the Justice League. The giant marble building, first built for the Justice Society of America, was abuzz with activity as tourists in town for the Fourth of July came to see this international landmark. A few hundred meters away, six heroes stood calmly waiting for the arrival of two more.

Batman placed a hand on the shoulder of his young protégé, Robin. A rare smile was spread across his face, the only part visible due to his cowl. “Today is the day.” Green Arrow, his bow at his side, spoke next. “Welcome to the Hall of Justice.” The third and final League member present, Aquaman, who stood with his arms crossed proudly over his chest, also addressed the young heroes. “Headquarters of the Justice League.”

A loud whooshing sound could be heard behind them, accompanied by a strong wind buffeting the heroes temporarily. Robin was the first to whip around, smiling as he saw his best friend, Kid Flash, panting with his hands on his knees. Next to him stood his mentor, the Fastest Man Alive, smiling at the assembled group of heroes. Once he caught his breath, Kid Flash looked up to notice the six heroes gathered in front of him. “Ah man! I knew we’d be the last ones here!”

Robin chuckled and walked forward to fist bump the young speedster. “Kid, how you been?” Despite his bad mood, Wally immediately lightened up when he saw his best friend. “Not much dude. Sorry we’re late. We would have been here sooner if _someone_ didn’t make us run here all the way from Central City.” Kid Flash stared daggers at his mentor, who had moved to greet Green Arrow. The elder speedster sighed and shook his head.

“I told you, the only way you’ll increase your speed is by pushing your limits. You made progress today, right?” Kid Flash merely rolled his eyes and turned back to talk with Robin. Flash shook his head and turned to the pair of archers still standing together. “So, how’s Star City? Must be nice this time of year.”

Green Arrow smiled at his old friend. “It’s good. You should bring the missus and come out to visit us sometime. We’d love to have you.” Flash nodded animatedly, looking back to find his young protégé engrossed in a discussion with Robin. Sighing once again, he turned back to Green Arrow. “Did Speedy give you this much trouble when you started training him?”

The Emerald Archer chuckled softly. “Like you wouldn’t believe.” Speedy scowled at his mentor, who merely laughed some more. Behind them, Batman cleared his throat. “It’s time to get moving.” Slowly but surely, the group of heroes formed up and began to walk towards the Hall of Justice. As they did, tourists began to take notice, the crowd beginning to clamor as people from across the world recognized them. “Is that Batman?”

Another person, his camera flashing, spoke up. “I see Flash and Flash Jr.” A woman shook her head. “His name’s Speedy. Duh.” Yet another man chose to chime in. “No, Speedy is Green Arrow’s sidekick.” The woman from before looked confounded. “Well that doesn’t make any sense.” Speedy, hearing the conversation, merely shook his head and kept walking.

Green Arrow caught up to his protégé’s side and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Ready to see the inner sanctum?” Speedy looked back, the red head flashing his mentor a smile. “Born that way.” Both archers turned their attention forward again, just as Kid Flash spoke up.

“Have all four sidekicks ever been in the same place at the same time?” Speedy snarled: he hated that term. “ _Don’t_ call us sidekicks. Not after today.” Taken aback by the young archer’s ferocity, Kid Flash took a few steps back. His hands rose up in defense as he apologized. “Sorry. First time at the Hall. I’m a little overwhelmed.”

Robin shook his head as the heroes ascended the steps in front of the Hall. As they walked towards the front door, Batman’s protégé spoke up. “You’re overwhelmed. Freeze was underwhelmed. Why isn’t anyone ever just whelmed?” The group of heroes was silent after that, walking through the sliding glass doors into the atrium of the Hall of Justice.

Robin gasped as soon as he entered. Towering along the opposite wall were bronze statues of the eight founding members of the Justice League. The likenesses of Superman and Batman flanked the entrance to the League’s chambers, with Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, and Martian Manhunter to the left of Superman and Flash, Aquaman, and Green Arrow to the right of Batman. “Oh, maybe that’s why,” Robin remarked. All four young heroes marveled at the sophistication of the Hall, including the beautiful statues of their mentors. Tourists snapped photos of the eight heroes as they walked up to the double doors emblazoned “Authorized Personnel Only.”

The doors slid open to reveal two more members of the League: Martian Manhunter and the android known as Red Tornado. The Martian stepped out to greet them with a demure expression. “Robin, Speedy, Aqualad, Kid Flash. Welcome.” Without another word, the green alien turned around to lead them deeper into the Hall. The young protégés followed, flanked by their mentors.

As they walked into a large library, Martian Manhunter spoke up. “You now have unlimited access to our fully-stocked galley, our gym, and of course our library.” Kid Flash lit up at the mention of a galley, while Robin seemed anxious to check out the gym. Speedy and Aqualad looked unconvinced, however, at the offer. Flash sped around and opened his arms. “Make yourselves at home.” Without asking, Robin and Kid Flash collapsed into two comfortable arm chairs, lounging about as Aqualad and Speedy remained standing. The Leaguers walked up to a door labeled “Justice League Members Only.” The Dark Knight, leader of the Justice League, turned to address both his fellow members and their protégés. “Quick debrief on the events of this morning. We shouldn’t take long.”

Batman finished speaking and turned to face the door. A scanning device dropped from the ceiling and bathed him and the others in a roving blue light. “Recognized: Batman, 02; Aquaman, 06; Flash, 04; Green Arrow, 08; Martian Manhunter, 07; Red Tornado, 16.” Upon scanning all six League members, the door slid open to admit them. The veteran heroes began to walk through the door before being stopped by an angered Speedy. The young archer marched towards them, furiously gripping his bow at his side.

“That’s it? You promised us a real look inside, not a glorified backstage pass.” All Leaguers turned to recognize him, Aquaman and Batman narrowing their eyes at the presumptuous teenager. The King of the Seven Seas crossed his arms and replied. “It’s a first step. You’ve been granted access few others get.” Speedy’s fist curled even tighter around his bow. “Oh, really?” He angrily jabbed a finger at the viewing gallery above them. Several camera flashes indicated the presence of tourists in the room, observing the confrontation above but luckily unable to hear. “Who cares which side of the glass we’re on?”

Concerned for his protégé, Green Arrow walked calmly right up to his adopted son. Placing a hand on his shoulder, he tried to calm him down. “Roy, you just need to be patient.” The redhead’s eyes narrowed as he shook off the elder archer’s touch. “What I need is _respect_.” He turned around to face his peers, who had taken an interest in the conversation. Aqualad looked the most troubled, but Robin and Kid Flash were blissfully ignorant. “They’re treating us like kids. No, worse: like _sidekicks_. We deserve better than this.”

Robin and Kid Flash exchanged a glance, while Aqualad looked down at his bare feet. Speedy smiled briefly as he saw his Atlantean companion conflicted, but scowled at the other two. “You’re kidding me? You’re playing their game? Why? Today was supposed to be _the_ day: step one to becoming full-fledged members of the League.” Aqualad nodded along to his best friend’s tirade, but Kid Flash decided to interject.

“Well, sure, but I thought that step one was a tour of the HQ.” Speedy’s eyes narrowed and his scowl deepened. “Except the Hall isn’t even the League’s real HQ.” All three protégés were shocked by Speedy’s revelation. “I bet they never told you it’s just a false front for tourists and a pit stop for catching Zeta Tubes to the real thing, an orbiting satellite called the Watchtower.”

The other three teenagers were absolutely floored by Speedy’s revelation. Robin thought that he had finally entered Batman’s most inner circle of trust: a bond between a father and his son. Aqualad, having served his king faithfully for over two years, similarly thought that his king would have trusted his most loyal subject with this information. Kid Flash, on the other hand, was jealous of Speedy’s relationship with his mentor, now seeing that his own teacher hadn’t trusted him while Green Arrow had entrusted his protégé with this information.

As the protégés stewed in their anger and doubt, Green Arrow turned sheepishly to face Batman. Even five years on an island in the North China Sea couldn’t prepare the archer for Batman’s cold fury, shown by the vigilante’s signature glare and crossed arms. Raising his hands, Green Arrow tried to defend his actions. “I know, I know, but I thought maybe, with the kids, that we could make an exception.” Batman’s eyes merely narrowed at the comment, causing Green Arrow to blanch. “Or not.”

Aquaman started to walk up to Green Arrow’s side. “You’re not helping your cause here, son. Stand down or…” Speedy quickly interrupted the Atlantean king, much to the elder heroes’ chagrin. “Or what? You’ll send me to my room? And I’m not your son! I’m not even his!” He directed his burning gaze at Green Arrow, who looked shocked by his protégé’s statement. Flash placed a hand on his friend’s shoulder in support. Speedy continued on speaking. “I thought I was his partner. I guess some things are just too good to be true.”

The other three protégés walked forward to stand by their friend. Robin spoke up first, directing his confusion towards Batman. “Batman, I thought you could trust me. After everything we’ve been through…” Robin’s voice died out, the usually happy boy trying to hold back tears. Kid Flash, on the other hand, was nearly vibrating from his fury. “How could you not trust us? Especially you, Flash. I thought we were a team, but I guess I am just your _sidekick_.” The venom in Wally’s voice stung, but Flash managed to remain expressionless, borrowing some tricks from Batman. Aqualad, years of military training drilled into his head, remained silent but placed a hand on Speedy’s shoulder in support of his actions. Not even Aquaman’s stern gaze stopped the dark-skinned Atlantean.

The awkward silence was ended by the sound of an alert going off. Suddenly, Superman appeared on the big screen of the computer bank located behind the older heroes. “Superman to Justice League. There’s been an explosion at the DC branch of Project Cadmus. It’s on fire.” The six Leaguers gathered around the computer, Batman standing front and center as he addressed the Man of Steel. “I’ve had my suspicions about Project Cadmus. This may present the perfect opportunity to--” The Dark Knight was cut off by another alert and Zatara popping up on a smaller screen next to Superman. “Zatara to Justice League. The sorcerer Wotan is using the Amulet of Aten to blot out the sun. Requesting full League response.”

Batman simply turned to talk to Superman once more. “Superman?” The Kryptonian debated himself internally, before addressing the gathered group of heroes. “It’s a small fire. Local authorities have it under control.” The decision was made right then and there by the two most prominent members of the League. Batman dealt out the League’s next orders. “Then Cadmus can wait. All Leaguers, rendezvous at Zatara’s coordinates. Batman out.” The four protégés, still standing stunned after Speedy’s outburst, started to come to and walk towards their mentors. The heroes began to file out as Batman held up his hand to stop the younger crime fighters. “Stay put.”

Robin, still angered from before, thrust his arms out in exasperation. “What? Why?” Aquaman, still nettled from his student’s support of Speedy’s rebellion, spoke with a steely tone. “This is a League mission.” To soften the blow, Flash quickly interjected. “You’re not trained.” Unsatisfied with that answer, the other speedster in the room responded to his mentor’s claim. “Since when?” Flash sighed and gestured towards his fellow Leaguers. “I meant you’re not trained to work as part of this team.”

Aquaman, dismissive of the young heroes’ concerns, spoke again. “There will be other missions… _when you’re ready_.” Before any of them could respond, Batman shut down any other objections with a glare. “But for now, _stay put_.” As the Leaguers walked away, Green Arrow turned to Martian Manhunter. “Glad you didn’t bring you know who?” The green alien’s response was short. “Indeed.”

As the door shut behind the departing Leaguers, Kid Flash walked forward angrily and swiped at the air. “When we’re ready? How are we ever supposed to be ready when they treat us like…? Like _sidekicks_.” Speedy smirked as the other three heroes acknowledged their mentors’ lack of trust. “My mentor, my king, I thought he trusted me.” Speedy turned to see his usually confident Atlantean friend sporting a look of self-doubt and even betrayal.

Kid Flash continued to rant as Robin just stared at the door that his surrogate father had left through. “Trust? They don’t even trust us with the basics! They’ve got a secret HQ in space!” Aqualad bit his lip at that last comment. “What else aren’t they telling us?”

Speedy piped up once more. “I’ve got a better question: what are we all still doing here? I don’t need Ol--Green Arrow to hold my hand.” He turned to leave, only to be held by Aqualad. “Wait, Roy, perhaps there is another way.” The young archer, puzzled by Aqualad’s sudden determination, decided to stay. Aqualad turned back to question the other two heroes. “What is Project Cadmus?”

Robin narrowed his eyes, but then looked at the computer and started grinning. “Don’t know, but I can find out.” He jogged over to the computer, soon joined by the other three protégés. He began to type commands into the computer bank at lightning speed, at first failing to breach the system’s security. _Access denied._ The Boy Wonder merely took it as a challenge. “Huh. Wanna bet?” His typing tripled in speed, lines of code whizzing by fast enough that even Kid Flash was impressed. “Whoa, how are you doing that?”

Robin looked back and smirked at his best friend. “Same system as the Batcave. And done.” He pressed one final key, the screen now lighting up green. _Access granted._ Robin combed through the League’s database, opening the files on Project Cadmus. “Wally, if you don’t mind.” Wally nodded and took over, speed reading through all the files in mere seconds. Shaking his head and blinking rapidly, he turned back to face the waiting heroes. “Project Cadmus, nationwide series of labs specializing in genetics. Apparently, Batman has tagged some of their funding: thinks it might be coming from suspect donors like LexCorp and even parts of the government. There’s not much to go on.” Robin cut in. “But if Batman’s suspicious, maybe we should investigate.”

Speedy grinned while Aqualad contemplated what Robin was saying. The young archer spoke up before Aqualad could interject. “Solve their case before they do. It would be poetic justice.” Robin chuckled and placed a hand on Kid Flash’s shoulder. “Hey, they’re the ones who are all about justice.” Aqualad decided at this point to be the voice of reason. “But they said stay put.”

Robin shook his head. “Only for the blotting out the sun mission, not this.” Kid Flash’s eyes lit up. “Wait, are you going to Cadmus? Because if you’re going, I’m going.” Both of them and Speedy, who made up his mind the second Robin suggested it, turned to face Aqualad. The dark-skinned Atlantean cracked a wry grin. “Just like that, we’re a team on a mission?” Robin’s response was short and sweet.

“We didn’t come for a play date. Are you in?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome, one and all, to the saga of Young Justice: The Heroic Age! This is an idea that’s been stewing in my head for years now, spurred on by my love for Young Justice and the Arrowverse. You’ll notice that I have incorporated characters from the latter shows, as well as changed a number of things about Young Justice. This will not follow the storyline directly. I have very closely adapted the first few episodes into this story, up until about Chapter 9 of this story. Then, I will take the characters into an entirely different direction. I have planned pretty far ahead, adapting the characters you know and love from the show into this work.
> 
> Hopefully I do the characters justice. You’ll notice that I used some of the exact lines from Independence Day; this is to help set up the same kind of story of young heroes branching out and doing their own thing. Anyways, enjoy the first section of the story, entitled Dawn. There will be more changes up ahead, so stay tuned!
> 
> Side note: The character designs are mostly in line with Young Justice, with a few exceptions. Kid Flash and Flash have the same color schemes as in Young Justice, but their suits are more reminiscent of the one from the Flash TV series. They’re designed by STAR Labs for speedsters to be friction resistant, provide technical readouts, etc.
> 
> Also, in this universe, Flash cannot run at light speeds: theoretically, he certainly can but his maximum speed is somewhere near Mach 50 for now. To put that in perspective, that’s over 38,000 mph, meaning he could run across the US in under 5 minutes and around the world in less than 40. Kid Flash will remain as fast as he was in the show (under Mach 1) – for now.
> 
> Second change for costumes is Green Arrow and Speedy. I love the costume from Arrow, so I’m basing the suits off the show. Green Arrow is wearing a suit similar to the one from Season 4 (which is apparently similar to his New 52 look), while Speedy’s original look is similar to the one from Season 3 for Roy Harper/Arsenal. I don’t like the Speedy costume from the first episode of Young Justice: it doesn’t fit with the origin stories for this fiction, so I’m ditching it, along with Green Arrow’s Robin Hood look. In addition, Spartan (John Diggle) has a suit very similar to the one from Season 4.
> 
> More changes will most likely come, but I will explain them in good time. Until then, please enjoy!


	2. Just One Spark

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When the Justice League faces a world-threatening disaster, the four "sidekicks" take it upon themselves to investigate the enigmatic Project Cadmus. What they discover there will unveil a conspiracy years in the making, as well as an individual just coming into his own for the first time.
> 
> Dawn: Part 2 of 5

**SECTION I: DAWN**

Chapter 2: Just One Spark

* * *

WASHINGTON, D.C.  
JULY 4, 17:00 EDT  
2020

Project Cadmus’s DC branch was nothing to look at. It was a simple two-story building, mostly full of administrative offices and some laboratories. Its stated purpose was twofold: to conduct low-level genetic testing and to house its government liaison offices. As such, the building was mostly empty when the fire broke out on the second story. Two researchers, however, were trapped in a lab when the explosion occurred. They currently stood by a shattered window, crying out for help.

The lead fireman spoke into a megaphone. “Stay put. We will get you out.” Suddenly, a secondary explosion erupted in the lab behind them, blasting them out of the window. Everyone watching was too horrified to act as the screaming scientists fell to their deaths. A streak of yellow lightning surged past the firefighters and up the side of the building. Kid Flash grabbed the two scientists and used his momentum to carry him up to the roof, where he deposited the would-be victims. Scrambling for purchase, he slid down and finally managed to grab onto an open window. The lead fireman yelled out in surprise. “It’s… What’s his name, Flash Boy?”

Kid Flash groaned and yelled back down. “KID FLASH. Why is that so hard?” On the street below, the other three young heroes ran up to see their teammate dangling from the window. Robin shook his head. “So smooth.” Aqualad, as calm and composed as ever, wondered aloud. “Does he always have to run ahead? We need a plan. We--Robin?”

Much to his shock, Robin had disappeared, somehow now pulling up Kid Flash from the window into Project Cadmus. Speedy chuckled at Aqualad’s dismay and readied a grappling hook arrow. “After you Kaldur.” With that, Speedy zoomed off to join the others, leaving Aqualad on the street alone. The Atlantean ran up to the firefighters, who were attempting to put the fire out with a hose. Unsheathing his Water Bearers, Aqualad barked out a request. “I need to borrow that.”

Calling on his Atlantean magics, Aqualad summoned the water to him, creating a rising funnel which carried him up to the scientists on the roof. “Step aboard, now.” The frightened scientists obliged, hesitantly stepping onto the hard-water construct. The Atlantean began to lower them to the ground, stepping off at the second floor to join his friends. After safely depositing the scientists on the street, Aqualad sheathed his Water Bearers, his tattoos returning to their natural black color. Inside, he found Robin hacking into a computer, while Kid Flash and Speedy looked inside the filing cabinets.

Aqualad spoke to the three heroes with a wry tone. “Appreciate the help.” He continued to walk into the hallway as Robin’s voice echoed after him. “You handled it. Besides, we’re here to investigate. Poetic justice, remember?” Aqualad shook his head as he stepped into the hallway. It was dark, but a chime from an elevator caused his head to swivel left. At the end of the hall, the Atlantean saw a strange figure with horns, its face hidden in shadow, standing in an elevator as the doors slid shut. “There was something in the--”

Having heard the elevators themselves, the other three heroes raced out to join Aqualad. Kid Flash frowned, his brow furrowing. “Elevators should be locked down.” Robin’s eyes widened as he recognized something about the elevator. Activating a holographic computer built into his gloves, Robin shook his head. “This is wrong. This is a high-speed express elevator. It doesn’t belong in a two-story building.”

Aqualad moved past the Boy Wonder. “And neither does what I saw.” Aqualad positioned himself in front of the doors, Speedy drawing a foam arrow to cover him. Using his impressive strength, the young Atlantean pulled open the elevator doors to reveal an elevator shaft going down for dozens of stories. Speedy whistled as he sheathed his arrow and joined Aqualad at his side. “So this is why they needed an express elevator. Hang on.” Swiftly drawing another arrow, he sunk it into the ceiling of the elevator shaft and jumped out. The grappling line held as he slid down towards the bottom. Aqualad jumped out and slid down the rope, with Robin providing a second line for Kid Flash and himself to slide down. Both Speedy and Robin descended to a story marked “SL-26” before stopping.

Undaunted, all four heroes swung over to hang onto the ledge as Robin wirelessly accessed the security systems. “Bypassing security… Go!” Aqualad pulled open the elevator doors, allowing Speedy and Robin to follow him out. Speedy had another arrow nocked and ready, while Robin continued to punch holes in Cadmus’s security systems. Kid Flash, anxious to continue on, ran down the darkened hallway, much to everyone else’s chagrin.

The young speedster heard thumping as he entered a large hallway, only to nearly run into a column of hulking creatures, grey with red markings and large tusks, walking on all fours. He narrowly avoided a collision and raced back to his friends. Speedy raised his bow to target the large beasts, only to lower his bow with a confused look on his face. Aqualad noticed a small white creature, with similar black markings and glowing red horns, atop the head of one of the troll-like creatures. His eyes narrowed as he followed the creature’s gaze back to Speedy.

* * *

Up on sublevel 13, a lone man sat within one of the most advanced genetics laboratories in the country. The man looked the part of a mad scientist, with wild brown hair with some streaks of gray hastily pulled back in a ponytail and a stained lab coat to boot. Scrunching his eyes together, the middle-aged bespectacled scientist carefully used an eye dropper to suck up a sample of red liquid in a petri dish. Lifting the dropper up and over to a test tube full of clear liquid and strange blue crystals, the man dropped a milliliter of the red liquid into the tube. He smiled as the crystals quickly dissolved and the resulting compound began to glow blue. After years of work, he had finally perfected Project Blockbuster. Doctor Mark Desmond lifted the test tube gingerly and inspected the contents more closely, the blue light reflecting off his glasses.

A beeping indicated the entrance of someone behind him. The heavy footfalls meant it could only be one person, but Doctor Desmond ignored his head of security until the former hero spoke up. “Doctor Desmond.” Desmond sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Tell me, Guardian, what part of no interruptions did you not understand?” The scientist walked over to a rack of cylinders suspended from the ceiling. The cylinders were marked “Project Blockbuster” with a circular button labeled “13” just above the lettering. Desmond pressed the 13, causing the cylinder to open up and reveal a circular test tube rack with five other glowing blue tubes. Carefully placing a stopper on his test tube, he placed it in with the others and re-sealed the storage cylinder.

Guardian, clad in golden armor as well as his signature depleted promethium shield and a G-Gnome on his shoulder, stood at attention. “A G-Gnome on sublevel 26 reports 4 intruders.” Desmond scoffed and waved dismissively at the warrior. “We have more pressing concerns. Besides, was there a perimeter breach alert?” Guardian resisted the urge to sigh, responding with a simple shaking of his head. “Then focus on the mission at hand. There is no way someone could enter Cadmus from the outside without tripping the alarms. Whatever may occur at our faux lab above ground, the real Cadmus is one of the most secure facilities in D.C.”

Desmond turned back to look into a microscope until Guardian responded. “My job to keep it that way.” Desmond sighed: the man was insufferable sometimes. “Fine. Take a squad. But keep the security personnel focused on finding the weapon. It’s proving remarkably apt at avoiding our security sweeps. I’ve authorized full use of the specialized weaponry and tasked Lieutenant Cannon with finding it. Do not interfere in any way.” He accompanied his warning with a stern gaze and finger jab to Guardian’s face.

As Guardian saluted the Cadmus director, another figure stepped into the room. He was humanoid, but possessed obvious differences with normal humans: blue skin, the absence of a nose, fin-like ears, and most importantly two horns jutting upwards from his skull. The alien creature wore simple white pants and a similar shirt, his hands clasped behind his back. “Doctor Desmond, might I suggest Guardian leave his G-Gnome behind? If violence should occur…”

Guardian finished the sentence. “The little guy would be in my way. I can’t be thinking of his safety when the bullets start flying.” Desmond’s eyes widened as he whipped around to confront the two. “No! The advantage of instant telepathic communication outweighs other concerns.” He glanced over at his own personal G-Gnome sitting on a nearby counter, sending it a telepathic message. The small creature’s horns glowed red, with Guardian’s G-Gnome quickly following suit. As if in a trance, Guardian’s eyes widened and he began to speak in a lighter voice. “I need my G-Gnome with me at all times.” Guardian saluted stiffly and walked out of the room without another word.

Dubbilex’s eyes narrowed, but Desmond paid no attention. He merely went back to doing his work, oblivious to the G-Goblin’s malevolent gaze. The slender genomorph walked out after Guardian, but turned left at a nearby junction instead of right. He had some work to do.

* * *

On sublevel 26, the four costumed heroes came up to a massive bulkhead. Unable to find any sort of security mechanism, Robin was forced to hack it wirelessly, costing them valuable time. Speedy and Aqualad drew their weapons and watched the hallway behind them. The archer was restless, his eyes flicking back and forth to detect any kind of movement. “I don’t like this. It’s too easy. This facility should have way more security than this.”

Aqualad nodded. “What concerns me more are those creatures we discovered. What was their purpose? That one managed to affect you telepathically: none of us are trained to resist that kind of attack.” Speedy rubbed his temple at the memory of the unwelcome guest. “Yeah, it still kind of hurts.” He waved off a concerned look from Aqualad. “I’m fine. Really.”

Behind them, Robin’s computer beeped somewhat loudly. “Yes! We’re in!” The bulkhead slid open with a chime, allowing the four heroes to enter a massive room. Speedy was the last one to enter, his eyes still trained on the hallway. “Robin, can you seal the door again? Robin?” Hearing no response, the archer turned to face his friends, only to encounter something else instead. Robin spoke for everyone in that moment. “Okay, I’m officially whelmed.”

Rows upon rows of creatures sealed within glass tubes stretched from the floor to the ceiling at least four stories up. They bore some resemblance to the troll-like ones from before, but these ones crackled with self-generated bio-electricity. The power all seemed to flow into some kind of generator at the center of the room. The four heroes stepped further into the chamber, walking slowly towards a computer terminal near the massive apparatus.

Kid Flash walked up to look more closely at one of the creatures. The bio-electricity reminded him of his and Flash’s lightning from their speed trails, but these glowed a bluish-white instead of their yellow. “This is how they hide this massive underground facility from the world. The real Cadmus isn’t on the grid. It generates its own power with these things. Must be what they’re bred for.”

Aqualad nodded in response to Kid Flash’s epiphany. “Even the name is a clue. The Cadmus of myth created a new race by sowing dragons’ teeth into the earth.” Speedy looked confused, unable to comprehend the sheer size of the operation required to breed such creations. Robin piped up as he strode up to the computer terminal. “And this Cadmus creates new life too. Let’s find out why.” Plugging a cable into the terminal’s USB port, he quickly bypassed the remaining security protocols and accessed the files on the creatures in the room.

“They call them genomorphs. Whoa, look at these stats on these things! Super strength, telepathy, razor claws.” He recoiled in horror as he realized what the creatures were bred for. “These are living weapons!” He pulled up the file on the electricity generating genomorphs: G-Sprites, capable of constantly generating their own electricity. Another few clicks opened the remaining files. Robin quickly identified the hulking creatures from before as G-Trolls, engineered with brute strength and increased durability to create a kind of living tank. The smaller horned creature riding atop the G-Troll was a G-Gnome, bred as telepathic communications devices. There were several other files, but another project folder caught Robin’s interest.

Kid Flash continued to examine the bio-electricity arcing off the G-Sprites. He asked the question on everyone’s mind at that point. “They’re engineering an army, but for who?” The other heroes were silent as they contemplated just who would want such an army. Speedy offered a suggestion. “Well, this place has supposed ties to LexCorp. Maybe good old Lex Luthor wants to put the hurt on Superman with these things?” Aqualad stood quietly in thought, looking up at the G-Sprites. Robin continued to try and hack the project folder he found, to no avail. He groaned, drawing the attention of the other three heroes. “There’s another project folder here, but it’s triple-encrypted. I can’t hack it.” Aqualad and Speedy looked over Robin’s shoulders at the wall of code. Speedy shrugged and pointed to the file name. “Project Kr? That might be a clue.”

Kid Flash seemed to think about it for a second. His eyes shot opened as he realized the connection, but before he could even open his mouth, a gruff voice shouted at them. “Don’t move!” A man wearing familiar armor charged into the room, accompanied by a new type of genomorphs and several armed security guards. Much to Aqualad’s chagrin, he recognized the rifles in the guards’ hands as similar to those used by Manta troopers.

Guardian looked confused as he discovered just who the intruders were. “Wait a minute, Robin, Aqualad, Kid Flash? Speedy?” He pointed at Speedy on the last name, earning a snigger from Robin. “At least he got your guys’ names right.” The Boy Wonder turned back to try and decrypt the folder once more. Speedy lowered his bow, but kept his arrow nocked. “I know you. Guardian, a hero.” He raised the bow quickly and aimed the arrow directly at Guardian. “You’re supposed to be dead. Who are you?”

Guardian smirked and took a step forward. “I’m Guardian’s grandson. I inherited the armor from him.” Speedy didn’t look convinced, but Aqualad tried to defuse the situation. “What are you doing here?” Guardian turned to look at Aqualad, his eyes narrowing at the teenager. “I’m chief of security. You’re trespassing, but we can call the Justice League, figure this out.”

Kid Flash was quick to respond, as usual. “You think the League’s going to approve of you breeding weapons?” Guardian looked confused as he did before, lowering his guard for a second. “Weapons? What are you--what have I--” The horns of Guardian’s G-Gnome began to glow red as the former hero put his hand to his temple. Suddenly, the armored warrior’s eyes flashed open, revealing a steely gaze. “Take them down hard! No mercy!” Without warning, the genomorphs sprinted forward to engage the heroes.

Robin exclaimed at the incoming attack. “Guys, I need more time with this file. Cover me!” Kid Flash grunted as he sped out of the way of two attacking genomorphs. “Easier said than done, Boy Wonder.” The speedster zipped away, leaving the G-Elves in the dust. Aqualad formed a shield with his water bearers and deflected a particle blast headed straight for Robin. Speedy fired two arrows at three attacking genomorphs, encasing them in hardened polyurethane foam.

Guardian lunged forward and aimed a powerful blow at the teenaged archer. Speedy ducked and rolled back to fire off two regular arrows at the golden warrior. Guardian chuckled as he deflected both shots with his promethium shield. “Kid, you have no idea who you’re messing with.” Speedy’s eyes narrowed as he side-stepped an over-head blow from his opponent. He dodged and ducked every single punch or kick from Guardian, using his superior agility to counter Guardian’s strength enhancements, courtesy of his armor.

Robin furiously continued hacking the mainframe, trying desperately to find out anything more about Project Kr. Kid Flash stopped next to him, shaking his shoulder. “Come on, Rob! We need a way out of here and you’re the only one who can open that door!” Kid Flash pointed to the bulkhead behind the young heroes, which was sealed tightly shut. Robin looked over to the battle developing and shook his head. “You guys can handle it. Now let me do this!”

Before Kid Flash could interject, something whizzed by him at super speed. Much to his chagrin, three humanoid creatures, clearly designed for speed, stood not ten feet away. They looked like the other genomorphs, but with lean muscles like those of other speedsters. Blue bio-electricity crackled around them uncontrollably, leaving the speedster with an uncomfortable feeling in his gut. He had never faced another person like him before: Reverse-Flash was long gone before he started wearing the yellow and red. Nevertheless, he put on his googles and sunk into a starting position. “You guys want me, come get me!” The race was off in an instant, the yellow-clad speedster drawing the three super-fast genomorphs away from the battle.

Meanwhile, Aqualad fired water bullets out from behind his shield, knocking down security guards and genomorphs alike with the high velocity impacts. Eventually, the G-Elves closed to melee range, forcing Aqualad to form a mace with one water bearer. He blocked the first genomorph’s wild swipe and bludgeoned it back with his new weapon. The G-Elf roared before Aqualad knocked it out with a kick to the temple. Another genomorph, seizing the opportunity, knocked him down from behind and tried to gouge his eyes out.

Speedy was faring no better. His dodging was working so far, but he could feel Guardian adapting to his style. Eventually, Guardian landed a glancing blow to Speedy’s right arm, the enhanced force behind the punch causing the archer to drop his bow. The red recurve bow tumbled to the ground just feet away, only to be smashed by Guardian’s boot. Speedy’s eyes widened as he watched his signature weapon, one he had wielded for years, shattered into a thousand pieces. Guardian chuckled darkly, staring at Speedy with the eyes of a madman. “What are you going to do now kid?”

Roaring, Speedy drew his eskrima sticks and went on the offensive. Guardian parried the first two strikes, but a backhanded blow caught him in the jaw. His head whipped around, allowing Speedy to sweep his feet out from under him. Guardian got over his astonishment quickly and rolled out of the way, springing back to his feet just in time to catch another strike on his shield. The archer was playing for keeps now, infuriated with the loss of his bow.

A stiff breeze, generated by the battle between the assembled speedsters, knocked dust into Speedy’s eyes, blinding him for just a moment. Guardian smirked and landed a solid punch to Speedy’s gut. The young archer curled up into a ball, coughing violently as the wind was knocked out of him. Guardian raised his foot up to deliver the final blow, but was knocked off-balanced by a tremor.

Kid Flash stumbled just a bit as the tremor shook the wall he was running on. While managing to stay running, the slight dip in speed was enough for the genomorphs chasing him. With bestial growls, they caught up to him and slashed at his sides. Yelling out in pain, the speedster fell to the ground clutching his now bleeding sides. The three genomorphs stood over him, their claws raised in triumph and ready to descend once again. Despite the pain, Kid Flash sprung to his feet and delivered a super-fast punch to the middle one’s face. Bone cracked as the surprisingly soft skull of the genomorph cracked under the intense force of the blow. The creature collapsed wordlessly, unconscious but still alive. ‘One down, two to go,’ Kid Flash thought. The other two genomorphs lunged at him, but he was already gone in a flash of yellow.

Robin too noticed the tremors, but paid them no heed. His entire focus was on hacking the file, the triple-encryption so far stonewalling any attempts. A G-Elf roared at him, charging the unsuspecting hero. It never made it to him, however, as a water whip wrapped around its chest and flung it back towards two security guards. All three collapsed to the ground, the humans groaning under the weight of the living weapon. Aqualad shouted at Robin in frustration, his cool demeanor cracking in the heat of battle. “Robin, stop what you’re doing and help us!”

Aqualad’s order went unheeded by the Boy Wonder, who remained engrossed in his efforts. Sighing loudly, the Atlantean ripped out the cable connecting Robin’s computer to the terminal. “Hey, I wasn’t finished!” Aqualad leaned down into the younger boy’s face. “Your friends are in danger. Both Speedy and Kid Flash are injured. Get out there and help them.”

It was as if for the first time Robin truly acknowledged the situation on the battlefield. He nodded in shock, drawing three Batarangs and tossing them at Guardian. The explosive force of the detonation knocked the former hero away from a still prone Speedy, saving the recovering archer. Robin somersaulted towards Guardian, who turned to face him with a sneer.

“So, another sidekick. This should be fun.” Robin held up his hands in a surrender position. “Guardian, if you’re really a hero, then you know this is wrong. Stop this.” The only response Robin got was a punch aimed for his face. Flipping backwards, the acrobat threw two bolas at Guardian in an attempt to snare and restrain him. The weighted ropes wrapped around the golden warrior, but he simply laughed and ripped them apart with his enhanced strength.

Guardian waved Robin on in an attempt to taunt the young hero, but after years of fighting crime with Batman, he knew better than that. He instead flipped away again, forcing Guardian to charge him by throwing more explosive Batarangs at the security officer. The G-Gnome on Guardian’s shoulder recoiled from the explosions, its horns now their regular black. Much to Robin’s surprise, Guardian halted his pursuit, stumbling and clutching his head as if in pain. The Boy Wonder stopped his assault and instead settled for throwing down a gas pellet to cover his and Speedy’s escape.

Speedy groaned as Robin pulled him to his feet, clutching his stomach. Robin smacked the other hero on the shoulder. “You good man?” Speedy looked over at Robin, a grin spreading across his face. “Just give me a second.” He grabbed his eskrima sticks off the ground and nodded to Robin. Aqualad joined the two as they regrouped behind the computer terminal. Robin counted his remaining Batarangs as Speedy fired from cover using his backup crossbow. The guards took potshots at the three heroes as the G-Elves advanced using the suppressing fire as cover.

Kid Flash zoomed past them, drawing the two remaining speed genomorphs with him. He looked back and grinned: the two were slowing down. ‘Must not be true speedsters: that blue lightning is the key.’ Kid Flash raced up the wall, turning as quickly as he could and racing down at near the speed of sound at the two genomorphs. Drawing back his hand, he thrust it forward as fast as possible, the limb wreathed in yellow lightning. The open-handed blow knocked one of the genomorphs to the ground, winding it and allowing Speedy to encase it in foam with one of his bolts. Kid Flash couldn’t stop to thank the archer, as the third genomorph raced away to try and save itself.

A second tremor, more powerful than the first, shook the room. The guards looked around, wide-eyed and afraid. Speedy turned back to talk with his friends. “You guys get the feeling that those tremors aren’t earthquakes?” Robin and Aqualad both nodded and looked back out over the battleground. Guardian had recovered from his mental pains, his G-Gnome back to normal with its horns glowing again. Guardian barked out orders to the security guards. “It’s coming this way! Set your weapons to maximum!”

Suddenly, a third tremor knocked everyone off their feet, including the two racing speedsters. Turning around, Robin noticed a small lump in the bulkhead behind them. Another tremor, and the lump grew in size. The heroes all eventually realized that something was pounding on the door, and it was _strong_. The metal groaned under the stress, but eventually gave way to the tremendous force, the doors blasting inwards with the sound of screeching steel. Accompanying them on their short flight was a G-Troll, its face covered in blood from several large cuts.

Just behind the now unconscious genomorph stood a boy, not much older than Kid Flash or Aqualad. His brilliant blue eyes raked over the battlefield, taking in all of the combatants. Robin noticed a familiar shape to his face, a sense of déjà vu he couldn’t quite place. Then, it all made sense.

Emblazoned upon the boy’s chest was a familiar symbol. The realization came crashing down upon the four teenagers with the weight of a locomotive. Project Kr: it wasn’t an abbreviation, it was a symbol for something.

The S-shield, crest of the House of El, betrayed the boy’s true identity. “Uh, guys, we’ve got a problem.” Robin’s words seemed like the understatement of the century.


	3. Lighting the Fire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Discovering the living weapon known as Superboy, the young heroes are now surrounded by hostile forces. To escape, they must run a gauntlet through some of the most dangerous creatures on Earth, and face a monster unlike any they have seen before.
> 
> Dawn: Part 3 of 5

**SECTION I: DAWN**

Chapter 3: Lighting the Fire

* * *

WASHINGTON, D.C.  
JULY 4, 18:05 EDT  
2020

The boy wearing the symbol of Superman stared intently at the three costumed heroes in front of him. The three couldn’t even move, such was their shock. Suddenly, a strong burst of wind caught their attention, as the last remaining genomorph speedster saw an opening for escape. It raced towards the door in a streak of blue lightning, screaming as it outpaced the wounded Kid Flash. Escape, salvation, it seemed so close.

An immensely strong hand reached out and grabbed the speeding creature by the neck. The boy lifted the struggling genomorph up and looked into its eyes with cold blue orbs. The genomorph swiped at its assailant with super-fast claws, but the teen didn’t even flinch. Kid Flash joined the team at Robin’s side, his eyes wide. “Whoa.”

Calmly, the boy snapped the genomorph’s neck with one hand. As if someone flipped a switch, the blue lightning racing across the creature faded. The boy tossed his lifeless prisoner aside and beckoned to the heroes. “Come on, hurry! This way!”

The four other teens stood there, stunned at the casual killing of the genomorph. The boy groaned, frustrated with their indecision. “This isn’t the time! Come--” A torrent of red particle blasts slammed into the boy’s chest, eliciting a roar of pain. Guardian waved his remaining men forward. “Pour it on, boys!”

Guardian’s actions snapped the four heroes out of their funk. No matter what he had done, the boy had saved them and was clearly in pain. “Move out!” Aqualad’s order set the impromptu team into action. Kid Flash raced towards the security guards, knocking several to the ground before they could even blink. Aqualad raced towards the boy, who was now kneeling in an attempt to stay upright. His shield, summoned with his water bearers, kept both Aqualad and the other teen safe from the red blasts.

Robin and Speedy played the role of long-range support, using Batarangs and crossbow bolts to lay down fire on the encroaching genomorphs. The bulkhead on the other side of the room slid open to reveal six G-Trolls and an assortment of other genomorphs, including the strange figure Aqualad had seen in the elevator. Dubbilex pointed to the heroes, directing the genomorphs to attack. G-Elves charged straight at Kid Flash, who zipped out of the way and down the hallway the mysterious boy had come from. Aqualad helped him up to his feet, noticing the severe nosebleed he seemed to be experiencing.

The boy shrugged Aqualad off. “I’m fine. Just needed a second.” Surely enough, the mystery kid ran off down the hallway at surprising speeds, leaving Aqualad to follow him. “Robin, Speedy, we’re leaving!” Robin nodded and drew another two gas pellets, throwing them down to give them some cover for the escape. Guardian roared in indignation as he lost the last two heroes to the smoke. Robin cackled as they ran away, eliciting a wry grin from Speedy.

Eventually, they reached the end of the hallway, where an elevator was waiting with the other three already inside. Robin and Speedy sprinted towards the doors, three G-Elves on their tail. Kid Flash yelled at them as the mystery boy pressed the button to close the doors. “Come on!”

Robin and Speedy dove into the elevator just in time, the doors shutting on the incoming G-Elves. The four protégés breathed a sigh of relief, Kid Flash collapsing to the ground in exhaustion. Speedy rubbed his still-sore chest, while Aqualad turned to the mysterious boy. “Thank you.” All he got in return was a nod.

Robin piped up, alarmed by the elevator’s floor count. “Uh, why are we going down?” Robin reached for the emergency stop button, but the boy’s hand closed around his elbow. To Robin’s surprise, he couldn’t move his arm: the kid had a vice grip. “No. We go down.”

Robin nodded and the boy relinquished his arm. The Boy Wonder winced as the pressure faded to reveal a slightly bruised elbow. He rotated it to check for any loss of mobility, and seeing none, became content with counting his Batarangs. After a few more seconds, the elevator dinged, and the doors opened. Kid Flash raced out to check the hallway for enemies, but the boy simply walked out and turned right. “You don’t need to bother. There’s no one this far down since… at least a day ago.”

Aqualad spoke up. “You seem to know Cadmus very well.” By now, the group had reached a massive bulkhead, marked “Project Kr.” The boy leaned down to press a code into the keypad, allowing the door to unlock and slide open with a whir of hydraulics. The stranger stepped into the room, waving the others in after him.

The room was expansive, yet entirely empty save for one console and some kind of stasis pod. The boy waited for everyone to enter, and then sealed the door again. “Expecting trouble?” Speedy’s question, delivered with his usual sarcasm, was met with the same cold look that the boy had given the genomorph speedster before its death. The archer took a step back involuntarily, but quickly regained his composure.

The kid then walked to the console, inputting several commands into the keyboard. “So, who are you?” Aqualad’s question was laced with curiosity, but also suspicion. The boy sighed and turned to face those that he had rescued. “I am the Superboy, a genomorph, created from the DNA of the Superman, created to replace him should he perish, to destroy him should he turn from the light.” Superboy’s words, given with such a lack of emotion, frightened every single one of the heroes standing in the room. Without another word, Superboy finished his work at the computer while rubbing his chest.

“Are you alright?” Aqualad walked up to place a hand on the Kryptonian’s shoulder, only to have it shrugged off. “I’m fine. That red sun radiation just hurts.” Robin gasped. “Of course! The blasts were laced with red sun radiation, so they can hurt Kryptonians! That’s genius.” Another glare from Superboy shut the Boy Wonder up shortly after his outburst.

His preparations finished, Superboy turned to face the assembled heroes. “It’ll take them a while to bypass the security lockout. Can you hold down the fort while I charge up?” He jabbed a thumb at the pod behind him. Aqualad nodded. “Of course. We could use some rest ourselves.”

Superboy climbed into the pod, resting comfortably on the cold metal surface. The glass doors closed before the pod began to hum loudly and shined bright yellow light at the Kryptonian clone. Aqualad turned to the group of heroes behind him. Kid Flash still nursed his wounds, Speedy now sat up against a wall, and Robin was busy hacking into Project Kr’s files.

“Get some rest everyone. We may be here a while.”

* * *

WASHINGTON, D.C.  
JULY 5, 00:32 EDT  
2020

Aqualad woke from a dreamless sleep to loud pounding and the groaning of metal. Shaking his head to dispel the last of the cobwebs, the young Atlantean looked towards the door to see small dents being formed by a force outside. He scrambled to his feet, his tattoos flashing blue as he grabbed his water bearers. “There’s no need. They’ve been pounding for a few minutes now.” Robin sat there, scrutinizing the files he managed to obtain on Project Kr. Unfortunately, he had only been able to scratch the surface of what exactly was sitting in a glass pod in front of them. What he did find, however, was still enough to shock him.

Aqualad joined the younger boy at the terminal, looking over his shoulder at the documents displayed on Robin’s holographic computer. “Designation: KR16. Are there more?” Aqualad glanced around for another door leading to perhaps another lab, but Robin shook his head. “No, he’s the first success apparently. There’s reference to failures in the project files, but all were in the embryo stage. None progressed to a more advanced stage of life.”

Robin pulled up another file, this one Superboy’s stats and genetic profile. Much of it was redacted, but his power levels were listed on the page. “He was cloned with Kryptonian DNA, but I just don’t know how. No scientist has been able to crack Superman’s genetics, not yet.” Aqualad pointed to the Kryptonian’s power levels. Much to his surprise, they were far lower than Superman’s. “How is he so much weaker than Superman?”

Robin shrugged. “Could be a number of factors. Age, altered genetics, the fact that he’s lived his whole life underground. But regardless, he’s a lot stronger than most other heroes. Only a few on Earth can match him in strength, durability, speed. If they had finished his conditioning…” Robin shuddered at the thought. A Kryptonian clone working for the bad guys? It was like something out of a nightmare.

Aqualad agreed. “It is imperative that we not allow him to be captured again.” He looked at the computer terminal and its current display. _0:56_. “Once he gets out, we’ll need to move fast. Where are Speedy and Kid Flash?”

A whooshing sound accompanied Kid Flash’s quick arrival, with Speedy joining the other three not too long afterwards. “Did someone call for a speedster?” Flash’s protégé grinned at his friends, none of whom shared his amusement at the situation. Speedy tapped Robin on the shoulder, wincing slightly from his bruised ribs. “You ever figure out what those other genomorphs were? The fast ones?”

At that, Kid Flash’s grin evaporated. It was rare for the speedster to get serious, but the encounter with the super-fast genomorphs haunted him. ‘I’ve never been challenged by anyone besides Flash before today.’ Robin grimaced and shook his head. “The deeper I go into any files, the harder the encryption is to crack. I don’t even know what they’re called.” 

A loud hiss preluded a familiar voice speaking up. “They’re called G-Gremlins.” The Cadmus pod opened with a whir of hydraulics, letting a fully revitalized Superboy step out to greet his new allies. Kid Flash whizzed up to him, taking care to stay out of arm’s reach. “How are they so fast?” He was hoping beyond hope that Cadmus hadn’t figured out some way to artificially imbue someone with the Speed Force: the world didn’t need a second Reverse-Flash.

Superboy looked to be deep in thought, trying to remember something buried within his psyche. He shrugged, obviously not possessing all of the answers. “All I remember is something about a lab on sublevel 39 working with… Velocity? Some kind of drug.” Kid Flash’s eyes widened, the speedster recoiling in horror from the revelation. The other three costumed heroes exchanged a glance, Robin asking the obvious question. “What’s Velocity?”

Kid Flash turned to Robin, pale as a sheet. “Velocity 9. It’s a drug developed by STAR Labs for B… I mean the Flash during his war with Reverse-Flash. It was originally designed to boost his speed beyond his normal limits, but it was deemed too unsafe to use. Apparently Cadmus stole the formula and are using it to try and create speedsters.”

The speedster looked like he wanted to collapse in shock, but Superboy, much to everyone’s surprise, buoyed his spirits. “Don’t worry: I torched the lab during one of my escape attempts. The only Gremlins successfully created were the ones you faced in the generator room.” Memories of that fight brought up another question on the mind of the four heroes. Aqualad, the calmest and most understanding of the group, stepped forward to confront Superboy.

“Superboy, why did you kill that genomorph?” Superboy’s eyes narrowed imperceptibly at the Atlantean, as if threatened by his question. The test subject of Project Kr turned away and pointed at the pod he had just exited. “When I first escaped from that pod, I had only one goal: survive. I saw what Cadmus had planned for me, the little messages that had implanted in my head. I know what they’re capable of.” He turned to Aqualad, his blue eyes now cold and unfeeling. The Atlantean feared for his life, instinctively ready to dodge any blast of heat vision the clone would throw at him. “It’s kill or be killed here.”

Speedy nodded his head. “I get where you’re coming from. But we don’t do that here. Trust, I’ve had my fair share of close calls with that policy, and it takes you down a dark road.” He looked back at the other heroes. Robin and Kid Flash looked shocked to hear Speedy’s comments, but Aqualad understood his best friend’s struggles. The time that Speedy had operated in the Glades before Green Arrow had taken him under his wing wasn’t something that he liked to talk about.

Superboy’s eyebrows scrunched together, his eyes losing that cold gaze from before. Before he could say anything else, the pounding on the door increased in intensity. The Kryptonian narrowed his eyes, clearly scanning the hallway beyond the door. “We’ve got company. They’re trying to muscle the door open with G-Trolls. Seven human heat signatures, too.” He turned to the assembled heroes. “I can’t take more hits from those Archer rifles.” Much to their surprise, the protégés could see fear in the Kryptonian’s eyes. He couldn’t be put back in his cage.

Aqualad drew his water bearers, Speedy his crossbow. “Is there any other way out?” Robin looked to Superboy as he asked the question. Superboy shook his head, incredibly nervous at the prospect of facing those infernal weapons again. He would never forget the sensation of having his power stripped away bit by bit. “No. The only way is out that door.”

Robin shot him a dopey grin, trying to calm his new companion. The Boy Wonder’s confidence came with his years of crime-fighting, even though he was the youngest of the group. “Stay whelmed, SB. We got this.” Kid Flash snapped his googles down over his eyes. A huge grin spread across his face as he rubbed his hands together. “Yeah, let’s do this thing!”

Superboy nodded and walked over to the door to punch in the access code. Aqualad formed a shield and mace with his water bearers while Robin and Speedy took up positions at the rear of the formation. Kid Flash took the foremost position, lowering himself to the ground like a sprinter at a track meet. His eyes flashed with electricity as he summoned all the speed he could muster. He would have to be fast for this to work.

Superboy punched in the code and ran to join his new friends. The bulkhead unsealed and slowly slid open. As soon as there was enough room, Kid Flash took off, whipping around the door and towards the unsuspecting security guards. Before they could even blink, the speedster had snatched all of their rifles and deposited them several feet away. The seven soldiers looked down at their now empty hands in shock, their eyes wide as dinner plates. As they looked over to Kid Flash, he shook his head and pointed at the opening door.

The security guards looked back just in time to see the four other teens race out to engage them. “Oh sh--” Speedy fired off three bolts into the line of security guards, making sure to take non-lethal shots. Robin cackled as he leapt towards the ones still standing, felling one with a spinning kick to the head and dodging another’s clumsy attempts to grab him. Superboy and Aqualad, on the other hand, took on the three G-Trolls that they had brought to open the door.

The Kryptonian teen leapt back to avoid a minivan-sized fist, his blood now pumping in the heat of battle. The other boy, utilizing his years of military conditioning, remained calm and collected as he leapt at the G-Troll, attempting to gain purchase on its back. The Atlantean used his water bearers to snag a hold on the creature, leaping up bit by bit as it struggled to throw him off. Eventually, he reached the genomorph’s head, sheathing his water bearers in one smooth motion. His arms crackled with electricity as he brought his palms down to touch the G-Troll’s temples.

Superboy dealt his opponent a powerful blow to its chin as Aqualad charged the third G-Troll. Superboy leapt into the air, descending to smash the dazed creature into the ground. The genomorph slumped like a puppet with its string cut, falling into merciful unconsciousness. A loud grunt alerted the Kryptonian to his new friend’s struggle, pinned between the wall and an encroaching G-Troll. Superboy roared as he leapt again and smashed both of his fists into the G-Troll’s leg. He heard a distinct crack as the gigantic genomorph’s tibia snapped under the tremendously powerful blow. The creature roared in pain, but lashed back at Superboy. With its attention now firmly on the Kryptonian, the G-Troll was easily dispatched by an electrical shock courtesy of Aqualad.

Robin and Speedy finished up their skirmish as Kid Flash returned from his reconnaissance of the rest of the sub-level. “We’re clear from here to the elevators. We should go now.” Without another word, he was off again, disappearing down the corridor to ensure their path was still safe. Speedy looked to Robin with an eyebrow raised, eliciting a shrug from the Boy Wonder.

Aqualad and Superboy joined their non-powered companions, all four now setting off down the long hallway. Robin, shorter than the rest, had to struggle a bit more to keep up, but pulled up next to Superboy. “So, SB, how’d you escape in the first place?” The Kryptonian looked over to Robin with a wry grin on his face. It was an odd look for him, one that Robin had never seen in the clone’s template. “I had some help. I assume you’ve met Dubbilex? Tall, glowing red horns?” Robin nodded, remembering the genomorph who had sent an army of genomorphs after them.

“He’s a G-Goblin, designed by Cadmus to have telekinesis. But he apparently developed telepathy as well, since he’s been communicating with me for about a week now. He showed me what Cadmus really had planned for me, who I really am. Yesterday, he deactivated our security system and let me free, but I haven’t been able to make it to the surface. I’ve been penned in by those guards with Archer rifles, never got past sublevel 27.” Superboy looked around at his newfound companions and smiled warmly. “But now it’s different.”

Robin spoke up, shooting Superboy a grin. “Now, you’ve got a team.”

* * *

Up on sublevel 8, Doctor Desmond waited impatiently in a darkened conference room. The only source of light was a low-level LED on the oak conference table, which cast pale blue-white light across the walls. Desmond sat at the head of the conference table, alone, brooding over the failures of the last two days. Not only had the weapon escaped, but the four sidekicks were proving to be a particular nuisance as well.

The LED suddenly cut off, leaving Doctor Desmond in the dark. His heart sped up, a trickle of sweat ran down his brow, as he realized that it was time. He stood up and brushed out the wrinkles in his lab coat. It would not do to look disheveled. Not to them.

The room then lit up in a flash of bright white light. Seven screens, previously hidden in shadow, displayed the outlines of figures blurred out by the same light filling the room. Desmond had no idea who the seven figures were: only that they were not to be questioned. The previous director of Cadmus’s D.C. branch learned that the hard way.

L-1, the man on the screen across the room from Desmond, spoke up first. His voice was a gravelly baritone, somewhat distorted by technology to prevent voice identification. “Doctor Desmond, report.” Desmond gulped nervously as he fidgeted with his glasses. This would not be a good report.

“Sir, we’ve run into complications with the weapon. It continues to avoid our patrols, and has destroyed four more laboratories. We’ve managed to contain him below sublevel 27, but earlier tonight, there was… an incident. A small fire above ground attracted some unwanted attention.”

The screen to the right of L-1, a man who went by the designation L-3, spoke with a more gracious tone, but Desmond wasn’t convinced. L-3 was a master of manipulation: he had a way of getting into people’s heads, making them spill every dark little secret for his nefarious purposes. That’s why Desmond feared L-3 the most. “Just tell us what happened, good doctor.”

Desmond ran his hand through his hair nervously, building up the courage to speak again. He huffed and shoved his hand back into his pocket. “Four sidekicks breached Cadmus around seven hours ago. While we’ve restored our external security protocols, internal surveillance feeds are offline. We cannot find them.”

All seven figures remained silent for a moment before L-1 spoke again, rage evident in his tone. “Have they discovered the weapon?” Desmond turned white as a sheet, his mouth now completely dry. He clenched his fists tightly, willing himself not to look away from the screens in fear. It took an immense effort to stay rooted to the spot, staring out over the white screens. “Yes, they have. We had to deploy genomorphs to hunt them down, and in the process, the weapon discovered their presence. He’s… unstoppable.”

L-1, though his face was obscured by white light, still managed to radiate anger. Desmond did not shrink in the face of almost certain death. L-3 spoke up again, even his voice now tinted with emotion. “Doctor Desmond, you do realize that they cannot leave this place alive.” Desmond nodded, frustration bubbling up to replace fear for a moment. Of course he knew that: they had seen far too much of the real Cadmus.

L-1 managed to bring his rage down to manageable levels, his invisible gaze falling solely on Desmond once more. “You are authorized to use any means to do so.” Desmond’s eyes widened as he realized what his superior had just said. His life’s work would finally be put to the test. The scientist found himself grinning like a madman, despite his current predicament. “Yes, of course.”

L-1 spoke one last time before he and his colleagues took their leave. “The weapon is no exception. If it will not serve the Light, then it must be destroyed.” The screens flared even brighter for a moment, forcing Desmond to shut his eyes or be blinded. When he opened them again, the room was dark once more. He turned to exit the conference room, his eyes glinting with sheer ecstasy. It was time for Blockbuster to come into the light.

* * *

The five teens slowed to a halt outside the elevator doors, covering Robin as he hacked the door panels. He grimaced as he realized that Cadmus had stepped up their security protocols. ‘Must have realized I was in the system.’ Opening the door was taking too long, so he powered down his computer and stepped back. “SB, could you get that?” The super clone nodded and stepped forward, cracking his knuckles as he did so. He plunged his hands, fingers extended, into the seal between the two steel doors. The super-strong teen pulled apart the doors, sealed with hundreds of pounds of hydraulic force, like it was nothing.

The elevator had been recalled to a higher floor, leaving an empty shaft for the heroes to climb. Superboy grabbed Aqualad and leapt upwards, focusing all his might on ascending the empty passage. Speedy fired a grappling arrow upwards, following his teammates upwards. Robin cackled and used his signature grappling gun to bring up the rear with Kid Flash in tow.

As the clone of Superman rose higher and higher into the air, passing sublevel after sublevel, he felt himself slow down. “I--I’m falling.” Incredulous, he did nothing to prevent his eventual mid-air halt, followed by his descent. Robin, luckily, threw a Batarang into the side of the elevator shaft, allowing Aqualad to hold on and save both from falling back down to the bottom. Superboy looked up the shaft, only fifteen sublevels between him and his goal. “Superman can fly. Why can’t I fly?”]

Robin and Aqualad exchanged a look as they remembered their earlier conversation. Kid Flash interjected, the other three heroes having now joined Aqualad and Superboy on the ledge for sublevel 15. “Don’t know, but it looks like you can leap tall buildings in a single bound. Still cool.” Superboy nodded, finally bringing his attention back to his companions. Aqualad swung him down and over to join the others near the doors. The Kryptonian placed a hand on the Atlantean’s shoulder as the elder boy landed next to him. “Thanks.”

Aqualad nodded soberly in response. Speedy rolled his eyes: it was clear that the clone was most comfortable with his best friend out of everyone there. The young archer knew the feeling: Aqualad had a serenity about him that made even him feel calm. ‘If Superboy has even half the anger I had when I first met Kaldur, he’ll be in good hands.’

Robin looked up in alarm, noticing before anyone else the elevator descending to crush them. “Guys, this’ll have be our exit.” Superboy, once again fully determined to escape, turned and slammed his open palms on the elevator doors. The steel crumpled like tissue paper, sending the doors flying into the well-lit hallway beyond. Where sublevel 52 looked alien, with biological tissue covering the walls, sublevel 15 looked like a state of the art facility, with reinforced bulkheads and security cameras at every junction.

As the group ran forward, Robin and Speedy destroyed the cameras with their ranged weapons. They hoped to conceal their presence from Cadmus security, but their efforts were to no avail. No less than fifteen Cadmus troopers, backed up by another twenty G-Elves, stormed into the hallway. Robin’s eyes widened as he fumbled for a smoke pellet on his belt. Speedy opened fire with one of his trick bolts, trapping four of the genomorphs under a weighted net.

The troopers took aim at Superboy with their Archer rifles, only to lose the group in a thick cloud of smoke. Robin hurried the other teens down a side hallway, exiting the smoke to find their path mercifully clear. Superboy felt a familiar presence in his head, smiling despite the terror he currently felt. “It’s good to hear from you, Dubbilex.” The other heroes were confused, glancing over to the clone as he conversed with his genomorph friend.

‘Indeed, Superboy. I see you have found some new friends.’ Superboy chuckled. “Yeah. I’m assuming that was your doing.” It was weird to communicate telepathically for Superboy. He was used to being on the receiving end of psychic links, being force-fed knowledge and commands by G-Gnomes. He had yet to learn how to speak with his mind instead of his mouth.

‘Yes. The fire I set above ground seems to have attracted the attention I wanted. Although I am disappointed that the Justice League did not come.’ Superboy could sense Dubbilex’s frustration at that, making him laugh once more. Robin’s eyes narrowed. “Superboy, who are you talking to?”

The clone turned to the Boy Wonder, still grinning in an unusual display of happiness. “Dubbilex. He’s disappointed that his little fire didn’t bring in the Justice League.” Kid Flash and Speedy looked offended, while Aqualad remained collected at the remark. Robin, true to form, cackled. “Well, tell Dubbilex that next time, wait until a sorcerer isn’t blotting out the Sun.” Superboy’s grin only widened. “Thanks, I’ll be sure to include it in my review.”

Robin was shocked: did the brooding clone just make a joke? He followed Superboy, absolutely dumbstruck. Speedy brought up the rear, with Aqualad and an unusually slow Kid Flash running beside the Boy Wonder. Superboy took them through a series of turns, eventually leading them to a dead end. Kid Flash sighed in exasperation, turning to Superboy with his arms spread in a questioning manner. “Great directions, Supey. You trying to get us captured?”

Superboy frowned. “I don’t understand.” Robin ran up next to him and slapped a hand on the much taller boy’s shoulder. The Boy Wonder was strangely thrilled with their current predicament. “Don’t apologize. This is perfect!” He pointed up to the grate two-thirds of the way up the wall. “Everyone, into the vent.”

* * *

Desmond stepped out of the elevator alongside his head of security. Guardian, still under the thrall of the G-Gnome on his shoulder, scowled at the elevator doors lying on the ground several meters away. “It’s been through here recently.” The two made their way down the hallway, meeting a Cadmus security guard at the next junction. “Sirs, Lieutenant Cannon is leading the pursuit. He told me to bring you to him.” The three broke out into a jog, turning right and then left to join a group of heavily armed guards and about a dozen G-Elves. Lieutenant Cannon, a former Navy SEAL and second-in-command of the security at Cadmus, nodded to his direct superiors.

“Doctor, Guardian.” Guardian nodded back to his subordinate, moving to run next to him as the group took a right-hand turn. “Report, Lieutenant.”

The security guard showed Guardian his wrist-mounted computer, the readout displaying a map of sublevel 15. Five white dots in one of the ventilation shafts marked the position of the young heroes. They turned right at a junction, heading towards one of the bathrooms on the sublevel. Two groups of red dots, genomorphs, moved towards the junction as well, cutting the teens off from any retreat. “They took out our cameras, but we’ve still got motion sensors. They should be coming out up there.” Cannon pointed to a men’s restroom up ahead, a group of eight G-Trolls already standing by to provide assistance. Guardian nodded his thanks and took the lead into the bathroom. Four security guards, two on each side, flanked him as they took aim at the grate high up on the bathroom wall. “When they exit that grate, open fire. No mercy.”

The guards acknowledged Guardian’s orders and took aim with their Archer rifles. Rumbling could be heard from the grate as something closed in. The rifles whined as they powered up, a faint red glow emitting from the barrel. Desmond’s maniacal grin showcased his utter delight at the situation. Soon, his Cadmus would return to normal, and he could finish perfecting Blockbuster. No group of adolescents would stop him from achieving his goals.

The grate burst outwards, prompting the security guards to open fire. All they hit were three G-Elves, who tumbled out of the ventilation shaft stunned by the particle blasts. Guardian growled as the assembled group realized their mistake. More genomorphs exited the grate as Desmond’s eyes narrowed. “They hacked the motion sensors.”

* * *

Robin’s eyes were full of mirth as he powered down his holographic computer. “I hacked the motion sensors.” The group had exited the ventilation shaft before the genomorphs could determine their position, finding themselves near an emergency staircase. Robin stood up, disconnecting a cable from an interface hidden in a wall panel. “Still plenty of them between us and out.” Kid Flash, confident as ever, merely snapped his googles over his eyes. A cocky grin took its usual place as flickers of yellow lightning could be seen around his body. “But I finally got room to move.”

The teenaged speedster burst through the door into the stairwell, ascending four levels in the blink of an eye. As he climbed the stairs, he saw a group of G-Elves form up on a landing, trying to block his path. ‘I don’t think so.’ Now just a blur of yellow lightning, he leaned his shoulder into it and knocked the genomorphs to the ground. His friends followed quickly behind him, moving past the still dazed creatures without any struggle. Superboy glanced behind them as they reached the next landing, seeing even more G-Elves coming up to join their brethren. He stopped mid-stride and smoothly turned to deliver a super-strong kick to the top stair. The entire flight, swarming with genomorphs, collapsed down to the next level, the G-Elves screaming as they fell a story.

Nine sublevels later, Kid Flash burst out into another well-lit hallway. He looked left and right quickly, finding a massive door leading to another set of stairs. ‘Must be the way out.’ He sprinted down the hall, only to realize that the bulkhead was sealing itself. ‘No, no!’ The speedster tried to beat the closing doors, but ultimately was too late. “Oh, crud.” He slammed into the door at reduced speed, rebounding off the steel door and landing with a loud thud. “Ow.”

The other four heroes ran up behind him as he picked himself up, rubbing the back of his head where a bump was already forming. Aqualad stated the obvious. “We’re cut off from the street.” The speedster stood up, turning to the Atlantean with a dead-pan expression. “Thanks. I honestly couldn’t tell.” Speedy snorted: the young speedster was picking up a few quirks from his friends, himself included.

The two strongest members of the team, Superboy and Aqualad, tried to pry the doors open. Unlike before, the steel would not budge easily. Sweat formed on Aqualad’s brow as he tried to help the Kryptonian, but he was outclassed. The hallway was now bathed in emergency lighting, lockdown protocols now in effect. Robin tried to hack the door, but shook his head in defeat. “Nope. Too much time.” He turned to see G-Trolls marching down the hallway towards them.

“Hurry, this way!” He kicked open a door next to the bulkhead, running blindly into the next hallway. The other four heroes joined him, only to stop dead in their tracks. The T-junction they had just entered was cut off both ways by Cadmus security personnel and genomorphs. Guardian stood facing the young heroes, surrounded by seven other Cadmus security personnel armed with Archer rifles. A veritable swarm of genomorphs, from G-Elves to G-Trolls and even several G-Gnomes, accompanied him. The other way wasn’t too enticing either, with Lieutenant Cannon and eight of his guards also backed up by genomorphs. Before the heroes could retreat the way they came, G-Trolls and G-Elves moved to block their path.

They circled up, prepared to make one final stand. Some of them readied their weapons, Aqualad forming swords from his water bearers while Robin and Speedy took aim with their ranged weapons. Superboy clenched his fists and took a basic fighting stance, while Kid Flash prepared to charge the opponents directly in front of them.

Before they could do anything, however, all the G-Gnomes’ horns began to glow. Suddenly, as if they were puppets with their strings cut, the heroes fell simultaneously to the ground. Only Superboy, who had experience with telepathic assaults, managed to stay awake, but was still forced to his knees by the psychic blasts. He looked at Guardian, his eyes smoldering with visible wrath. The former hero merely chuckled and pointed to the group of heroes. The security guards began to move forward, their rifles trained solely on Superboy.

For some reason, they never made it. One by one, each guard began to feel woozy and stumble around. Guardian’s eyes narrowed as his troopers collapsed to the ground, completely knocked out by some unknown enemy. He raised his shield and glanced at the various G-Gnomes placed throughout his genomorph security force. However, he too fell to his knees, still conscious but unable to respond just like Superboy.

A voice entered the genomorphs’ heads, Superboy included. ‘Perhaps, for the sake of all genomorphs, our brother Superboy should be allowed to speak.’ The Kryptonian felt his mental shackles disappear, but could tell that his new friends were still being kept down. He shakily stood, turning to address the assembled genomorphs. “Listen. I know what you were created to do, the conditioning you went through. I had the same upbringing.” He jabbed his thumb in his chest. “But _I_ chose to be free. I chose to be more than just a weapon. And you can, too. You’re not weapons: you’re living, thinking creatures. You have the right to choose your own destiny.” Slowly, the young heroes began to stir. Aqualad opened his eyes, listening intently to Superboy as the Atlantean rallied his strength.

“I was raised with one purpose: to replace Superman. Now, I realize, that to be like Superman, I need to have a life of my own. Beyond my solar suit, beyond my pod, beyond Cadmus. I need to feel the sun on my skin, the wind in my hair. Although I may owe my life to Cadmus, it is not my home. And it doesn’t have to be your home either.”

His speech concluded, Superboy waited for the other genomorphs to respond. A few seconds passed with no reactions from any of the creatures. Superboy closed his eyes and sighed: their conditioning was just too hard to break. However, when he opened his eyes once more, he saw the G-Gnomes begin to power down. His new friends were now fully awake behind him, picking themselves up off the ground. Speedy and Kid Flash both grumbled at their predicament, but Aqualad and Robin merely nodded their thanks to Superboy.

Guardian also stood up, shaking his head as the telepathic influence of the G-Gnomes lifted. He placed a hand on his temple, his stand steadying as he regained full control of his body. “What’s going on? It feels… like a fog lifting.” Speedy readied his weapon should the former hero try anything, but Aqualad stayed his friend’s hand. The Atlantean teen turned to Guardian, his gaze questioning. “Guardian?”

As if remembering all the prior months he had been under Desmond’s thumb, Guardian grimaced. He turned to fully face the young heroes. “Go. I’ll deal with Desmond.” The genomorphs nodded, now fully rallying against Cadmus and its tyrannical rule. Mad laughter filtered down the hallway as the heroes readied themselves to leave. “I think not.”

Everyone’s gaze shifted, falling onto a more disheveled Desmond standing at the end of the hallway. Guardian moved down towards him, not slowing down in the slightest as Desmond withdrew a glowing blue test tube from his lab coat. “Project Blockbuster will give me the power to restore order to Cadmus.” The mad doctor popped the cork off the tube with his thumb and downed the liquid in one gulp.

The changes started almost instantly. Desmond began to groan in pain, throwing his head back violently as his muscles began to bulge. His glasses flew off his head, shattering as they hit the floor. The doctor collapsed to his knees soon after, then onto his elbows. As he lay hunched over, his muscles continued to expand until his lab coat was shredded. The doctor slowly lifted his head, his facial features sloughing off to reveal a new gray hide beneath. His eyes shot open to reveal dark retinas with red irises.

The creature formerly known as Doctor Desmond roared as he stood up, the transformation now complete. His skin now hung off his gray hide loosely, most having sloughed off during his transformation. The gray hide, reminiscent of a rhino’s, was highlighted with red markings, all covering incredibly strong muscles. The creature clenched his teeth together and looked down at the incredulous heroes, panting like a mad dog.

The heroes readied themselves for a long fight.


	4. Blockbuster

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After escaping the lower levels of Project Cadmus, the five heroes come face-to-face with the director of the insidious program. Desperate to protect the project, he ingests a formula which will remake him into a monster. Will the heroes be able to prevail, or will Blockbuster fulfill its purpose: killing superheroes?
> 
> Dawn: Part 4 of 5

**SECTION I: DAWN**

Chapter 4: Blockbuster

* * *

WASHINGTON, D.C.  
JULY 5, 01:12 EDT  
2020

The creature that was once Doctor Mark Desmond seemed to scowl at the assembled group of heroes. Speedy whistled and aimed his crossbow directly at the monster. “Check out how ugly that made him.” The brutish bulk of muscle growled in response, but made no moves to attack quite yet. He was still scoping out his opponents, not unlike a predator analyzing its prey.

Guardian, in a moment of brazen heroism, charged the creature, hoping to get in a good first strike. Clearly, he had no clue what Desmond’s formula had done. The monster roared and landed a furious backhand, knocking the former hero with incredible force into a wall. Guardian was knocked out almost instantly, collapsing to the ground without even a whimper. Superboy, in response, leapt at the creature with his own roar on his lips.

The Kryptonian clone landed a solid blow to the monster’s cheek, only to be knocked down to the ground by a counter punch. Undeterred, Superboy landed on his feet and slammed his fist into his opponent’s chin, causing him to stagger. The clone was unrelenting in his assault, jumping up to lay on a series of powerful punches. It was now painfully clear that he had been suppressing his true power against the genomorphs: how any creature could stand up to him was simply amazing.

But the creature created by Desmond’ Blockbuster formula simply shrugged off the blows as if they were the slaps of a child. He grunted and smashed a fist, with surprising speed, into Superboy’s cheek. The Kryptonian clone was sent flying, smashing into the opposite wall and falling to his hands and knees. Now incredibly angry, Superboy pulled himself up and wiped the back of his hand over his mouth. To his surprise, there was a faint trickle of blood there. The other heroes couldn’t believe it: how were they supposed to defeat something that could make a Kryptonian bleed?

Undeterred by his slight injury, Superboy leapt into the air and prepared to strike once more. The creature, roaring once more, beat him to it. He leapt into the air faster than Superboy could anticipate, wrapping his massive arms around the Kryptonian as their combined momentum carried them through the ceiling. Superboy roared in pain as they burst through ten feet of solid concrete into the main lobby of Project Cadmus’s above-ground facility.

The other four heroes gathered around beneath the hole. Robin whistled in appreciation. “Well, that’s one way to bust through the ceiling.” Robin readied his grappling gun as Speedy readied a line arrow. Kid Flash grabbed onto Robin and held on as the two zoomed up to join Superboy. Speedy and Aqualad were not far behind.

The four heroes emerged into a darkened atrium, most of the lights turned off since it was well past midnight. The chamber was longer than it was wide, the ceiling two stories above and complete with a long sky-light. Moonlight spilled into the lobby, revealing a very nice reception desk near the front, flanked by two security stations. The oak desk was currently being reduced to splinters by Superboy’s body, the creature ramming the Kryptonian repeatedly into that and the surrounding metal detectors.

Superboy flared his eyes in a desperate attempt to summon heat vision. His strength was clearly inferior to that of the monster, but if he could just summon some of Superman’s other powers…

The brute roared and smashed Superboy’s head all the way through the desk and into the unyielding floor below. He lifted up the clone by the neck and growled, applying increasing pressure with one giant hand. Superboy’s vision began to blur as his air supply was cut off: even Kryptonians need oxygen to survive at some point.

A crossbow bolt exploded across the creature’s back, polyurethane expanding to cover his entire body. His grip on Superboy weakened enough for Kid Flash to zoom in and recover the Kryptonian before he passed out. The speedster laid down the clone next to the other heroes as they waited for their foe to break out of his foam prison. Superboy groaned as he sat up, clutching his bruised throat. “Are you alright, Superboy?” Aqualad looked concerned, even when Superboy nodded and stood back up to his full imposing height.

Speedy spoke up, his crossbow still trained on the trapped monster. “Guys, that foam won’t hold him for long.” Superboy grimaced and rolled his shoulders back to loosen them up. “I got this.” Aqualad’s eyes widened as the Kryptonian leapt back into the fray. “Superboy, wait!”

Superboy fired off a snap kick to the back of the creature’s skull, unintentionally shattering the hardened foam with the force of the blow. Undeterred by his mistake, the clone landed and spun to deliver a powerful uppercut to his opponent’s chin. He dodged another attack and laid out two quick jabs which merely caused the monster’s head to snap back. Kid Flash shook his head and snapped his googles down over his eyes. “Guy is going to get himself killed. He’s no match for Blockbuster.” Without another word, he zoomed off to help the Kryptonian, much to Aqualad’s consternation.

Blockbuster, as termed by Kid Flash, knocked Superboy away with the back of his hand. Charging the prone Kryptonian, he was cut off by a wall of lightning. Actually, he discovered as he turned, it was a ring of electricity, flowing from Kid Flash’s speed trail as he zoomed around and around the monster. Blockbuster roared and continued to spin, trying to find out where in the ring the speedster was. Inside the blur of light, Kid Flash closed his eyes and breathed. ‘You’ve seen Barry do this a hundred times. You can do this Wally.’

As his speed increased, so did the intensity of his lightning. The energy built up to a critical mass as Kid Flash hit nearly six hundred miles per hour, moving so fast that only Superboy could really keep track. Suddenly, the drawn out ring of electricity condensed down to a single bright point as Kid Flash spun and extended his arm… to no avail. The lightning merely faded from existence as the teenager slid to a stop. “Huh?”

Blockbuster roared and clapped his hands together. Kid Flash was sent flying by a pressure shockwave, colliding into Robin at the other end of the room. With the annoyance presented by the speedster eliminated, the monster turned its attention back to its primary concern. Superboy silently thanked Kid Flash for distracting his opponent, allowing himself to gather some more strength. Somewhere in the back of his mind, however, a voice told him that it would never be enough. Shaking his head as if to dispel his doubts, the clone leapt once more into action.

* * *

Aqualad shook his head as Kid Flash picked himself up off the Boy Wonder. “Sorry dude.” Robin stood up with a grimace, clearly injured from the impact. As one of the two normal humans in the group, Robin was constantly aware of the need to protect his body from superhuman blows. Unfortunately, one hundred and forty pounds of speedster moving at high speeds did not agree with him. Aqualad looked over to Robin as he touched his ribs, only to wince and pull his hand away quickly. “Are you okay?”

Robin chuckled. “I’ve had worse. As long as I don’t breathe, I’ll be fine.” The Atlantean nodded soberly and turned his attention back to Kid Flash. “Kid, wait. We need a battle strategy. It is clear that this Blockbuster is stronger than even Superboy, and possesses some knowledge of tactics and fighting. He is not a mindless brute, no matter what you may think about his intentions.”

Kid Flash nodded. “Yeah, I really thought the lightning thing would work.” Speedy nodded: he knew about the technique Kid Flash had tried to perform. It was first developed by Jay Garrick, the original Flash from the 1940s. Essentially, the speedster would utilize the bio-electricity from his speed trail to fire off a bolt of lightning at an opponent. Flash had utilized the technique before when working with Team Arrow, but usually reserved it for superhuman foes who could handle the immense surge of energy.

The archer put a hand on Kid Flash’s shoulder to comfort him. “Hey, I know it took Flash a while to master that one too. You’ll get the hang of it.” Kid Flash smiled: for all his gruffness and anger, Speedy was surprisingly good at positive reinforcement. The moment between the two old friends ended quickly, however, due to Superboy nearly colliding with Aqualad. Only Kid Flash’s quick thinking saved the Atlantean from being crushed under a hundred and eighty pounds of dense Kryptonian muscle.

Superboy carved a trench in the floor ten meters long, finally slowing to a halt next to a beautifully constructed wall of water. The fountain continued to gurgle as the Kryptonian picked himself up yet again. Kid Flash zoomed over to steady him, joined soon by the other three teenagers. Superboy shook the speedster off and prepared to leap back towards his opponent. Aqualad stayed him with a surprisingly firm hand on his shoulder. “Superboy, wait. We must strike as one.”

The Kryptonian thought about it for a moment. ‘I’m not getting anywhere by myself, and they do have fighting experience.’ He looked over to the two non-powered heroes, who stood at the ready. ‘I don’t want them to get hurt, but they can handle themselves. Besides, it’s all or nothing, right?’ Superboy turned to Aqualad and nodded. The Atlantean pointed to Kid Flash. “Kid, get behind him. Superboy, you’re with me. Speedy and Robin, lay down some fire once all three of us get out of the way.”

All four heroes nodded at Aqualad’s orders. Kid Flash zoomed towards Blockbuster like a bolt of lightning, who charged to meet him halfway. Kid Flash slid under the creature’s punch and through his legs to pop up on his hands and knees on the other side. Blockbuster turned to look at the speedster in confusion, before turning back to see Superboy and Aqualad leaping towards him, arms cocked back. His eyes widened just before two fists slammed into his face.

Blockbuster, knocked off-balance by the force of the blows, stumbled backwards only to trip over Kid Flash. The monster fell onto his back, the kneeling speedster rising to his feet to mock him. “Learned that one in kindergarten.” Robin leapt over Kid Flash and spun to throw two Batarangs at their prone foe, while Speedy fired three crossbow bolts in rapid succession. All five attacks struck, causing a sizeable explosion which swallowed up Blockbuster.

As the smoke cleared, however, the creature was standing once more, bruised but not beaten. He turned to find Superboy in a fighting stance, ready to go once more. Blockbuster roared and charged the Kryptonian, grabbing him at his sides and ramming Superboy into a support column. The concrete cracked under the impact, but held strong. Superboy launched two quick punches that seemed like minor annoyances to Blockbuster. The muscular brute merely growled and slammed Superboy even harder into the column, causing more cracks to appear.

Blockbuster drew back his arm for a punch, only to be held back by a glowing water whip. Aqualad yanked himself towards the monster, kneeing it in the face and landing just above Superboy on the column. Forming a mace with his water bearer, the Atlantean dropped down at his foe with a two-handed strike. Blockbuster casually reached up and caught the mace with one hand, tossing Aqualad aside like he was merely trash. The Atlantean slammed into the ground hard, groaning loudly as his tattoos flashed back to normal.

Blockbuster threw Superboy into a neighboring column, choosing to focus on stomping Aqualad. The Atlantean rolled out of the way just in time for Kid Flash to charge the creature. Blockbuster merely stepped to the side, grabbed Kid Flash’s wrist, and tossed him at a recovering Aqualad. The Atlantean smashed into yet another pillar, while Kid Flash flew off to land on the ground quite a distance away. He could feel his injuries already starting to heal, his Speed Force connection fueling his regenerative capabilities. Shaking off the numbness from the impact, Kid Flash sped off to regroup with Robin.

Meanwhile, Aqualad was forced to fight one-on-one with Blockbuster, dodging one punch which slammed into the column behind him. Unfortunately, the creature managed to grab him by the throat and slam him into the support column _hard_. The Atlantean groaned as his opponent pulled his arm back for a devastating punch. A crossbow bolt detonated on impact, an explosion washing over the monster’s back. Blockbuster shrugged it off and cocked his arm back once more. However, now Aqualad was able to draw one of his water bearers and form a shield.

Speedy lowered his crossbow and silently cursed himself for not having a backup bow. He just ran out of crossbow bolts, and had a full quiver of unusable ammunition. As Blockbuster’s punches to Aqualad’s shield caused further cracks in the neighboring support pillar, Robin’s eyes lit up with an idea. “Of course!” He pulled up a holographic image of the room, scanning for structural weaknesses.

Superboy leapt to Aqualad’s aid just as his shield failed, delivering a punch to the back of Blockbuster’s knee and then his shoulder. The creature faltered for a moment, allowing Superboy to wrap both arms around his neck in a chokehold. Blockbuster tossed Aqualad aside and grabbed Superboy with both hands. He pulled the Kryptonian off his back and launched him into the pillar in front of them, completely shattering it.

Robin’s computer showed the damage occurring in real time. The pillar flashed away as red text appeared: “Damage. Structural Compromise.” Robin turned to both Speedy and Kid Flash. “Got it?” Both heroes nodded and moved into action. Kid Flash zoomed towards Blockbuster as Speedy ran to the nearest support column. Turning abruptly, Kid Flash ran to a long jump which allowed him to punch Blockbuster in the face. The creature, who was holding Superboy above his head, turned to face his new challenger. Much to his chagrin, the speedster was clutching the remnants of his old face, a taunting expression on his lips. “Got your nose.”

Blockbuster huffed and threw Superboy to the ground. He ran over and attempted to crush Kid Flash with a double-handed overhead smash, missing the speedster by a few feet. As Kid Flash continued to dodge the super-strong blows, Superboy and Aqualad regrouped with Robin. The Boy Wonder opened his hologram again, showing the two his plan. “Superboy, Aqualad!”

Kid Flash slid to a stop in front of an untouched pillar, opening his arms in a mocking gesture. “Come and get me, you incredible bulk!” He dodged an incredibly strong punch from Blockbuster, only to be hit by debris from the half-shattered column. The red-headed teen picked himself up and sped past the monster to the column once again, baiting his opponent to strike.

Superboy and Aqualad went to work, destroying two of the other columns with their impressive strength. Blockbuster weakened another one after failing to hit Kid Flash yet again. Speedy was busy dismantling his explosive arrows to rig as charges on an untouched column, leaving Robin to sabotage the last two with Batarangs.

After that was completed, Robin drew an X in the middle of the room with chalk. Aqualad then sprayed down water over the X, moving to the side as Kid Flash zoomed in. Sliding along the water slick, Kid Flash stopped just over the X. Blockbuster charged his now unmoving foe, only to be laid flat by a punch to the forehead courtesy of Superboy. The teen speedster ran out of the way as Blockbuster collapsed over the X, only to pick himself up more quickly than before. Desperate to buy time for the charges, Aqualad electrified the water, shocking the creature. Blockbuster remained still, more out of shock than actual pain. It didn’t matter, however, as Robin watched his computer count down to zero. “Move!”

Suddenly, all the charges detonated, sending tons of concrete down on Blockbuster’s head. He roared one last time before being crushed by the majority of the building. Superboy and Aqualad pushed their companions down, using their more durable bodies to shield them from the worst of the impact. Superboy in particular held up a multi-ton block of concrete with his back, keeping it from crushing his new friends.

With one final boom, the whole building collapsed, sending a plume of concrete dust and smoke high into the sky. A few moments of complete silence followed as nothing moved in the vast pile of rubble. Slowly, the neighborhood around it came alive, people in nearby apartment buildings waking up to the horrific sounds coming from the collapsed Cadmus.

* * *

Suddenly, within the sea of rubble, a single hand punched up through a piece of concrete. Groaning loudly, Superboy lifted the concrete above his head, letting the other heroes step out from under it. With a loud grunt, the clone threw off the slab and stood up.

Speedy, his uniform in tatters but still in one piece, looked around to find his crossbow in pieces nearby. “Really?” A firm hand settled upon his shoulder. Aqualad smiled wryly at his friend. “It is just a piece of equipment, my friend.” Speedy, despite himself, smiled back. “I guess. But Green Arrow is definitely buying me a new one.”

Robin’s eyes widened as he realized something. “Uh, guys, did we ever contact the League?” The other three protégés groaned loudly, confusing Superboy. The clone scratched his head, knocking some concrete dust out of his hair. “Why does that matter?”

Kid Flash gestured around them. “Well, if Batman had this place under surveillance, and the building collapsed, it’s only a matter of time before--” Looking to the sky, Kid Flash gasped. The other teenagers followed his gaze, their jaws dropping in unison. Coming straight towards them, a slowly growing figure against the backdrop of a full moon, was the Man of Steel. His cape fluttering in the nighttime sky, Superman slowly descended towards the group. Superboy’s eyes widened at the sight of his… ‘What do I call him? Brother? Father?’

Superman wasn’t alone. He was flanked by Martian Manhunter, Zatara, Captain Marvel, and Red Tornado, all flying through various means. They landed on rubble directly facing the group, while another group of Leaguers landed to their left. Captain Atom, the Hawks, Wonder Woman, and Hal Jordan all looked on dispassionately at the assembled group of younger heroes. Finally, the last of the League arrived: Aquaman, Black Canary, Green Arrow, and Batman all carried on a disc construct by John Stewart, with Flash zooming in behind them.

All five teens looked on in awe as the full might of the Justice League stood in the ruins of Project Cadmus. Batman walked up to join Superman as the Man of Steel looked at Superboy with a look of utter confusion. Superboy smiled and stepped towards his genetic template, raising a ripped portion of his solar suit to show him the S-shield emblazoned on his chest.

Superman’s eyes widened as he realized what, or who, was standing before him. To say he looked conflicted was an understatement: the legendary founder of the Justice League looked both afraid and elated. Batman, on the other hand, shot a patented glare at the clone. “Is that what I think it is?”

Robin moved forward to defend his new friend, but Superboy beat him to it. “I’m Superman’s clone.” The members of the Justice League looked at one another in shock. No one had ever successfully, to their knowledge, cloned a Kryptonian before. Batman’s eyes narrowed even further as the Man of Steel looked down at his clone in silence.

The Dark Knight spoke up again. “Start talking.”


	5. We're Not Sidekicks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After defeating Blockbuster and demolishing Project Cadmus, the young heroes decide that it is past time that they form their own team. Impressed by their heroic actions and unflinching courage, the Justice League decide to give them what they want. Will this new Team prove to be another bulwark of justice and peace, or is the Justice League playing right into the villains' hands?
> 
> Dawn: Part 5 of 5

**SECTION I: DAWN**

Chapter 5: We're Not Sidekicks

* * *

WASHINGTON, D.C.  
JULY 5, 01:28 EDT  
2020

Soon after arriving Cadmus, the League uncovered Blockbuster from within the rubble. Surprisingly, the creature was still semi-conscious, but a single punch from Superman managed to knock him out. Now encased in a bubble construct from both Hal Jordan’s and John Stewart’s power rings, Blockbuster was to be escorted to a holding facility for further evaluation. Both Hawkman and Hawkwoman, as well as Captain Atom, were assigned as back up for the two Green Lanterns. As the League contingent soared off into the night sky, the remaining eleven League members broke off into smaller groups to talk.

The five younger heroes were impatient, but stayed apart from the Justice League. Superboy kept glancing over to his genetic template, who remained in deep conversation with the other League founding members. Batman, in particular, seemed to be… chiding the Man of Steel? Robin snickered as he watched his mentor jab a finger into Superman’s invulnerable chest. Sometimes people didn’t realize it, but Superman, the indestructible alien, could be truly afraid of the Caped Crusader given enough incentive. After their bout in Gotham eight years prior, there was no longer any wish to fight between the two of them, but Batman could grow frustrated with Superman’s hard-headedness sometimes. Superboy listened into their conversation with interest, garnering the attention of the world’s greatest detective.

Batman split off from the group of founders, followed quickly by Superman and Martian Manhunter. The three legendary heroes came to a halt in front of the teenagers, who waited with apprehension for the Dark Knight’s eventual scolding. Instead, however, Batman took on a softer tone. It was one that Robin himself recognized, from years before after a fateful night in Gotham. “Superboy, I understand that you’ve probably been through a lot. But the League needs to make sure that you aren’t a threat.” He stepped back and gestured to Martian Manhunter. “Do you know who this is?”

Superboy nodded, his encyclopedic knowledge of the League coming to bear. “Martian Manhunter, otherwise known as J’onn J’onzz. Fought alongside Superman and what would become the Justice League during the Kryptonian Incursion of 2016.” Batman smiled just a little, a fact only noticed by Robin, who grinned like a maniac. No matter what people said of the Batman, Robin knew him to be a big old softie sometimes. He couldn’t help it: he had been a father for the past four years.

Martian Manhunter spoke next. “Yes, Superboy. If it is alright with you, I would like to interview you psychically to further understand who you are.” Superboy’s eyes widened as he remembered the G-Gnomes rooting around in his brain, the inability to keep secrets from Desmond, Spence… He began to shudder, before Aqualad placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. The Kryptonian clone looked over to his friend, who was glaring, quite uncharacteristically, at Batman. “He has been under a microscope all his life. To do this…”

Superboy smiled at his friend’s defense of him. “It’s okay, Aqualad.” He turned back to Martian Manhunter, who continued to exude a cool and confident air. “As long as my friends are here.” The young heroes all smiled at Superboy’s comment. Even if they had only known him for less than a day, they had fought side-by-side with the clone in the toughest battle of their lives. They had a bond forged by fire, one that was not so easily broken.

“That is quite alright with me. Shall we begin?” Superboy nodded in response to the Martian, whose eyes then lit up red. Batman turned to the young heroes, who stood awkwardly waiting for the interview to be done already. “You may want to make yourselves comfortable. This could take a while.”

* * *

WASHINGTON, D.C.  
JULY 5, 02:04 EDT  
2020

Sure enough, a half-hour had passed. Superboy and Martian Manhunter were standing completely still, the telepathic conversation not yet completed. Batman had walked off to issue instructions for the League members going down into Cadmus to investigate. Eventually, only Flash, Green Arrow, and Aquaman remained with Batman, Superman, and Martian Manhunter. The rest went down into the labyrinth that was Project Cadmus’s DC branch.

Batman and the other Leaguers waited patiently for Martian Manhunter to finish his examination. Superman in particular looked ready to get some answers, tapping his foot nervously. Unfortunately for everyone else, it resulted in slight tremors shaking the debris from Cadmus’s aboveground facility. Luckily for the uneasy heroes, a glare from Batman quickly stopped the Man of Steel’s nervous fidgeting. Meanwhile, Green Arrow walked up to Speedy, who stood quite far from everyone else. “Hey, kid, you lose your bow?”

Speedy grunted at his mentor, unwilling to talk with him after the debacle in the Hall of Justice twelve hours before. Green Arrow sighed and ran a hand through his short blond hair. He didn’t know what to do. Since he had put on the green hood eight years ago, he had tried his hardest to make a difference, first for Star City as a vigilante then the rest of the world as a member of the Justice League. How was it that he could save the world from supervillains armed only with a bow and arrow, but still have troubles relating to his protégé?

“Listen, Roy, I…” Speedy turned to his mentor with a look of absolute fury written on his features. “Oliver, save it. I’ve spent years in your shadow, learning how to be a hero from you. Do you know how much I looked up to you? When I was thirteen, I saved up enough money to buy a bow, to start archery lessons. I spent a month on my own fighting crime in the Glades before you showed up. I have been with you for three years, and what do I have to show for it? People call me your _sidekick_ : do you know how demeaning that is?”

Before Green Arrow could even formulate a response, Speedy continued on. “You were my hero once, my mentor. But now, I stand here and realize that I trained for as long as you did before you put on the hood. So…” Speedy paused, gathering up the strength to do what he needed to do. “I think it’s time I find my own path.”

Green Arrow stood there, absolutely stunned. He always knew that his protégé would one day not need him anymore, but he hadn’t expected it to come so soon. He couldn’t even think of what to say in response, allowing Speedy to rejoin the group of young heroes. Eventually, the Emerald Archer just sighed and moved to stand next to Flash without saying a word. His friend looked over to him, but Green Arrow just shook his head. He didn’t want to talk. Not now.

Suddenly, Martian Manhunter’s eyes dimmed back to their usual dull red, while Superboy seemed to come out of a trance. He shook his head a few times. “That was… different.” Martian Manhunter smiled, a rare look on the alien’s face. “I tried not to be forceful with my probing. Like I said, this was an interview.”

Superman stepped forward. “So…” Martian Manhunter turned to the Man of Steel with a blank expression on his face. Seconds passed painfully by as the entire group waited for the telepath’s answer. “This boy has been through immense struggle. He was created to be a weapon, a deadly tool in the hands of our opponents. Instead, he chose freedom. He decided to become a hero.” Martian Manhunter turned to look at Superboy in admiration. “Were it not for him, these four might not have survived Cadmus.”

Superman looked… proud? It was impossible to tell: the Kryptonian must have learned a few things from Batman over the years. Still, everyone could see the tension leave his body as he digested Martian Manhunter’s words. Superboy, on the other hand, looked… happy? Apparently the ability to disguise emotions was genetic.

With that matter settled, Batman stepped forward with a glare focused on the young heroes. “I’ve already sent the League down into Cadmus. It will be investigated. All 52 levels.” The team of young heroes smiled, only to stop once they felt Batman’s cold gaze settle on them once again. “But let’s make one thing clear--” Flash stepped forward to interrupt Batman. “You should have called.” A glare from Batman caused the speedster to shrink back: Robin had to stifle a chuckle at that. The Dark Knight returned back to his admonishment of the younger heroes.

“End results aside, we are not happy. You hacked Justice League systems, disobeyed direct orders, and endangered lives. You will not be doing this again.” The last comment send blood boiling through the veins of the assembled heroes. Aqualad, much to everyone’s shock, responded first. “I am sorry, but we will.” The younger heroes, first recoiling in shock at the tenacity of Aqualad, quickly rallied behind their companion. The older heroes, on the other side, were not happy with the response.

Aquaman stepped forward. “Aqualad, stand down.” Even more to everyone’s surprise, Aqualad shook his head. “Apologies, my king, but no.” Aquaman’s blue eyes narrowed at the comment, as did Batman’s. Clearly they weren’t expecting this much pushback from their protégés. “We did good work here tonight, the work you trained us to do. Together, on our own, we forged something powerful, important.”

Flash butted into the conversation once more with the finesse of a freight train. “If this is about your treatment at the hall the four of you--” Kid Flash, angered by his mentor’s comment, interrupted the elder speedster. His green eyes narrowed at his mentor for just a few milliseconds, then flashed over to his friends. “The _five_ of us, and it’s not.”

Robin pleaded with Batman, his voice breaking from its usually confident tone. “Batman, we’re ready to use what you taught us, or why teach us at all?” He stepped forward, imploring his mentor. Batman’s eyes narrowed, before flickering away from Robin’s intense gaze. Speedy huffed and stepped forward next to Robin. “Why let them tell us what to do? It’s simple. Get on board or get out of the way.”

At that comment, all four protégés turned to face their mentors. Even Superboy, who had been lost in thought before, fixed his gaze on Superman. The Boy of Steel looked so much like his template at that moment, something that the assembled Leaguers were startled by. The members of the Justice League all turned to Batman, looking for his word on the matter.

“Give me three days to work something out.”

* * *

METROPOLIS  
JULY 5, 05:11 EDT  
2020

After a long night cleaning up at Cadmus, Superman finally returned back home to Metropolis. It wasn’t like most League missions, though: he wouldn’t usually use the Zeta-Tube to reach his apartment. However, this time was different: he had a guest with him.

“Recognized: Superman, 01. Superboy, A03.” A flash of light illuminated the alley behind Bibbo’s Diner. The Man of Steel stepped out of the old cellar and looked out to see if the coast was clear. Seeing no one, he gestured to Superboy. “No one’s out here.” Superboy, usually so brash and decisive, had become quiet, almost timid around his template. The Boy of Steel walked out into the warm Metropolis night, almost immediately recoiling from the somewhat rancid smells wafting off the city streets. Superman smiled softly. “It’s okay, I had the same reaction when I first moved out here. Besides, not everywhere in this city is like Suicide Slum.”

Superboy frowned. “Wait, what do you mean by moved?” Superman chuckled: the kid was just like everyone else. The most common theory on Superman’s identity in the public sphere was that he had no identity: why would such an all-powerful alien, truly a god amongst mortals, need to live amongst humanity? Superman realized that for him to truly embrace the boy as family, he would have to tell him everything.

He placed a hand on the boy’s shoulder. “Let me show you.” He began to fly away into the night sky, expecting his counterpart to follow. It was only after a few seconds that he realized Superboy was still standing in the alley. The Kryptonian soared back down to meet his clone, whose gaze was fixated on the ground. “Superboy, aren’t you coming?”

“I can’t fly.” Superman was stunned, prompting him to ask again. “What?” This time, Superboy screamed at him, his face screwed up in six different kinds of emotion. “I SAID I CAN’T FLY!” The clone wrenched his terrifying gaze back down to the earth, wanting to disappear in that moment. ‘I can’t believe… I…’ He turned to leave, only to be stayed by an iron grip on his shoulder. “Superboy, hold on.”

The nameless clone stopped moving, but wouldn’t turn around to converse with Superman. Kal-El, the last son of Krypton, sighed loudly. “Look, I know this isn’t easy for you. I assume you were raised as an object, not a person. When an object doesn’t fulfill its purpose, it’s useless. But you’re not an object: you’re a living, breathing thing. Your purpose isn’t set in stone, your future is not already written. You made that decision to change down in Cadmus, and I respect you so much for it.”

The Man of Steel paused. “Let’s just… get you back to my place. I’m sure that Lois would love to meet you.” The clone turned around, confusion replacing guilt rather quickly. “Who’s Lois?” The elder Kryptonian bared his teeth in the dopiest smile Superboy had ever seen. Instead of answering, Superman bent down into a runner’s position, prompting Superboy to join him. “I know that I’m not exactly the Flash, but we’re still fast enough to make this enjoyable. Want to go for a jog?”

Superboy grinned like a maniac. “Of course, old man.” That elicited a chuckle from his genetic template, who shook his head at the same time. “Just try and keep up.” Both took off in a blur of blue and white, the two Kryptonians pushing themselves well above one hundred miles per hour. While neither would run even half as fast as Kid Flash, their super-strong muscles, fueled by constant yellow sun radiation, made them far quicker than humans. Superman obviously restrained himself to a little under half his top speed, allowing Superboy to run side by side with him.

They raced through the busy streets of New Troy, dodging pedestrians and cars with the use of their super senses. Superboy could barely contain his smile at the exhilarating feeling. The wind on his face, the sounds and sights of the city, even the feeling of solid ground beneath his feet: he had never experienced this before.

Not too long after they began, Superman signaled for Superboy to slow down and enter an alleyway. The two Kryptonians turned right and slowed to a halt, hidden from the street behind a dumpster and some trash cans. Superman turned to his clone and held out his hand. “Stay here. I need to grab you some clothes.” In a blue streak, Superman flew up the side of the apartment building, zooming into an open window near the very top.

Superboy waited patiently for a few minutes, using the time to meditate and spread his super senses out further and further. He could see a couple walking down the street holding hands clearly enough to see the color of the man’s eyes. He could smell the fish from wharves in Hobb’s Bay, being brought in on fishing boats from the Delaware Bay and beyond. Pushing himself, he could even hear a conversation occurring in Gotham City, which was across the bay in New Jersey. Superboy breathed in and out as his brain, conditioned to process such stimuli, sorted everything out.

“You know, I’m a little jealous.” Superboy turned around to see a man dressed in an ill-fitting suit standing behind him. He also wore a fedora, prompting Superboy to hold back a snort, and horn-rimmed glasses, which seemed to bend the ambient light differently. The clone was utterly confused for a few moments before deciding to use his super senses. Closing his eyes, he focused in on the heartbeat of the individual standing before him. Much to his shock, it sounded just like Superman’s. Opening his eyes, he could see the man’s blue eyes glint with recognition. ‘No way…’

The disguised Superman stuck his hand out in greeting. “I’m Clark Kent, reporter for the Daily Planet.” An utterly shocked Superboy shook his template’s hand, still trying to process the information he had been given. Clark chuckled and handed Superboy a few clothes to slip on over his solar suit. A dark black shirt and brown leather jacket covered the S-shield on his chest, while dark blue pants covered the white leggings of his solar suit. Superboy turned to his template with a raised eyebrow as he donned the leather jacket and leaned down to put on some boots. “I don’t imagine you wear these very often.”

Clark chuckled. “No, Lois got them for me for our first anniversary. I wear them… out sometimes.” Superboy stood up after lacing his boots, smirking at his “father.” “Alright, so who’s this Lois you keep mentioning?”

Clark smiled back at his ever more comfortable clone. “Follow me.” The two walked around the building to the main entrance, the building marked “1738 Sullivan Place.” Superboy whistled as he saw the above-average décor of the place. “Didn’t think you’d live in a place like this.” Clark chuckled and waved to a security guard absentmindedly, who was engrossed in his newspaper. Once the two were in the relative privacy of the elevator, Clark turned to his “son."

“Batman may have… provided Lois and me this place as a gift.” Superboy was still confused. Who was this Lois? And who was Batman that he could afford such a luxurious gift? The elevator opened on the fifteenth floor, letting the two Kryptonians out into a nicely decorated hallway. They eventually made their way to unit #14, Clark fishing out the keys from his pocket. After he unlocked the door, he entered into the unit and let Superboy in after him. If Superboy had been surprised by the décor of the lobby and the hallway, then he was utterly confused by the apartment itself. Instead of sleek, modern furniture and fancy art, the living room where the entrance funneled into was… the opposite.

It looked more like a house in the Plains States than an apartment in uptown Metropolis. The furniture was worn and simple: plain plaid tablecloths covered the coffee and end tables. The furniture was all older wood, giving it an old-timey feeling. Two large book cases held tomes like _The Republic_ and _Ulysses_. Superboy marveled at the coziness of the room, brushing his hand against the old cloth of the blue couch. He felt a strange sense of déjà vu bubbling up, only to be interrupted by a woman’s voice wafting in from an adjacent room. “You can blame Smallville for the blandness. I wanted to put up some abstract art, but he quashed that idea quicker than he does most supervillains.”

A woman, a full eight inches shorter than Clark, walked into the living room. Even dressed in simple silk pajamas, it was clear that she was a beautiful woman. Her long dark hair flowed down past her shoulders, accentuating her bright blue eyes that seemed to match her partner’s. She stopped dead in her tracks, her eyes widening as she looked at Superboy. “Damn. You two look exactly alike.” Her moment of surprise now over, she turned to Clark with a grimace. “Cousin isn’t going to cut it with this one. It’s got to be brother or son.”

Superboy’s eyes widened as he listened to the conversation between Lois and Clark. The elder Kryptonian chuckled and walked over to the world-famous reporter, kissing her on the forehead. “Lois, don’t be rude. Introduce yourself.” She stuck out her tongue at her partner and stepped forward to greet Superboy. “Hi, I’m Lois Lane. Well, technically Lane-Kent, but I personally think hyphenations are idiotic. But this lug…” She jabbed her thumb at Superman. “… had to please his ‘traditional’ parents.”

Clark hemmed and hawed, much to Lois’s amusement. Superboy finally figured it all out, from the shared last name to the apartment. ‘She’s Superman’s _wife_.’ He scanned the room for pictures, finding several of the two standing together as Clark and Lois, but none with a familiar S-shield. “And what’s your name, kid?”

Superboy’s attention snapped back to the reporter standing in front of him. “Superboy.” Lois drily raised her eyebrow and sighed. “Clark, what’s the first rule of this house?” As if trained to do so, Clark recited the rule. “The cape comes off once I’m in the door.” Lois turned her attention back to the clone standing awkwardly in front of her. “So, Superboy, what’s your name?”

Superboy was confused. ‘Name? I _am_ Superboy.’ The clone opened his mouth to respond, only to stop at the look of horror shared by Lois and Clark. They finally realized the truth. Stepping forward to stand next to his wife, Clark placed a hand on Superboy’s shoulder. “Did Cadmus even give you a name? A real name?” Superboy’s eyes lit up as he came to an epiphany about who he really was. For the sixteen weeks of his life, he had only been referred to as “the weapon”, “Project Kr,” or “Superboy.” Even the young heroes who had rescued him hadn’t called him anything different. “No, they didn’t.”

Before Clark could go into a rage-induced tirade against those who would do such a vile thing as to deny someone an identity, Lois swooped in to save the day. “Well, we can’t just keep calling you Superboy. The last name is easy, since you’ll either be his son or brother. Clark, you should call Bruce and see what he can do about that.” Clark nodded and began to conspire with his wife. He walked over to the bookshelf and pulled out a book that simply did not belong. He tossed it to Lois, who cracked it open to a well-worn page. Superboy could now see the title of the book: _Complete Book of Baby Names_.

“How about Jonathan? After your dad?” Clark shook his head and stroked his beardless chin like a philosopher. Lois continued on as her husband got lost in his thoughts. Superboy spoke up, quietly interrupting both husband and wife. “Could it be something that starts with a C?”

Lois turned to her Kryptonian husband, flashing him her signature grin. “The resemblance continues to amaze me. Alright kid, how about Chris? Calvin?” No response. “Cameron? Collin?” No response. Lois thought hard about the next one. “Conner?”

As if bidden by some otherworldly force, Superboy found himself nodding to the last name. Both Lois and Clark were ecstatic. Lois found herself wrapping the teen into a bone-crushing hug. At least, bone-crushing for regular humans. Superboy stood awkwardly with his arms at his sides, unsure of what to do. Chuckling, Clark walked over to place a caring hand on his adopted son’s shoulder. “Welcome to the family, Conner Kent.”

* * *

ATLANTIC OCEAN  
JULY 5, 12:41 UTC-03  
2020

Just off the coast of the Atlantic Ocean, two Atlanteans sped through the water at incredible speeds. They flowed with a local current, allowing the underwater river to carry them along. Aqualad was silent beside his king, who was reveling in the feel of water on his skin after so long digging evidence out of the ruins of Cadmus. King Orin looked over to notice the look of consternation on his protégé’s face, at once becoming somber and regal.

“What is the matter, Kaldur’ahm? What troubles you so?” Aqualad glanced over at his king, clearly lost in thought. When he did not answer, Aquaman continued on. “Is this about what happened at Cadmus?”

The dark-skinned Atlantean blanched at his mentor’s further questioning. As he looked back at his actions, Aqualad realized that he had disrespected his mentor, his king, in his efforts to stand with his fellows. Such behavior would have cost him in Atlantis: how was it that King Orin had not punished him yet?

Aquaman raised an eyebrow at his protégé’s continued silence. Finally, he huffed and turned to face Kaldur fully. “Kaldur’ahm, by my authority as King of Atlantis, Poseidonis, and the Seven Seas, I order you to tell me what is troubling you.” Kaldur sighed and began to speak.

“My king, I am afraid that I have disrespected you. Please accept my humble apology; please, forgive me for my brashness.”

Aquaman merely chuckled. Aqualad was confused: wasn’t his mentor angry with him? King Orin, as if able to read his mind, spoke up. “When you first stood up to me and the League at Cadmus, I was shocked, even angry. But then I saw the work you and your team had done defeating that hideous creature.” The King of the Seven Seas stroked his beard, pausing for a long period of time. “Contrary to popular belief, I do permit disagreements with my command from time to time: so long as the speech has some wisdom to it.”

Aquaman flashed his protégé a kind smile. “And I have never been more proud to know such a wise young man such as yourself.”

* * *

GOTHAM CITY  
JULY 7, 11:11 EDT  
2020

Dick Grayson, known as the hero Robin to many, prowled the halls of Wayne Manor like a cat stalking its prey. He thrust his hands into his pockets as he passed priceless art and antiques scattered throughout the ancestral home of the Waynes, Gotham’s most notable family. While he was not a Wayne by blood, Dick had been Bruce Wayne’s ward for four years. In that time, he had grown incredibly close to the reclusive billionaire, being termed his “son” by the media and later the world at large.

Of course, most people didn’t know that both Bruce and Dick shared a secret: one that would place both of their lives in danger if anyone ever found out. Dick looked up to a second-story window which allowed sunlight to pour into the entryway he was currently walking through. He groaned as he allowed himself to remember the events of three nights prior. After they had left Cadmus, Batman and Robin had returned to the Batcave, where Batman was still holed up in. He wouldn’t allow anyone in besides Alfred, even Dick.

The thirteen-year old huffed and kicked the magnificent carpet beneath his feet. “I would ask to refrain from doing that, Master Dick.” The effected cockney accent of the Wayne family butler echoed down the hall from behind the young acrobat. Dick whirled around to confront the aged Englishman striding towards him. The thirteen-year old hadn’t seen his friend all morning: he had been sequestered down in the Batcave with Bruce.

“Alfred, has he said anything yet?” The butler chuckled softly at the boy’s enthusiasm. Sometimes, it was hard to believe that Dick had gone through such trauma as a child. Bruce at that age was so different from Dick. It was like night and day with the two: the Dark Knight and his Boy Wonder, one choosing to surround himself in darkness, the other a beacon of joy and light in an unimaginably cruel world.

Dick repeated his question, this time a bit more forcefully. “Alfred. Has he said anything?” The Englishman placed a comforting hand on his young ward’s shoulder. “I assure you, Master Dick, when he makes up his mind, you will be one of the first people to know.”

Dick threw his hands up in exasperation. “It’s been two days now Alfred. When is he going to decide?” Alfred rubbed his index finger over his eyebrow. “Well, Master Dick, I would expect to understand that Master Bruce always keeps his promises. As does the Batman. You gave him three days to decide: all he asks for is patience.”

The Boy Wonder grumbled some more, but understood Alfred’s point. “Fine. But he’s got until tomorrow to decide.”

* * *

CENTRAL CITY  
JULY 7, 14:16 CDT  
2020

Wally West hated shopping. Absolutely despised it. So for a moment, he didn’t understand why he was standing in Forever 16, holding two heavy bags full of purchased clothes. All around him, he could see swarms of teens his age chatting and looking at racks of clothes. The store had everything from fancy shirts to “cute” skirts. And Wally could not care less.

There was nothing else that could distract him from the anticipation, the dread he was currently feeling. Ever since that fateful night at Cadmus, the teenaged speedster had trouble relaxing: even more so than usual. Instead of sleeping at night, he had taken to running around the city, simply letting his feet carry him wherever they wanted to go. If he wasn’t running, Wally could feel excess energy bubbling through him, threatening to overwhelm him.

‘I wonder if this is how Barry felt when he first joined the League. I feel like I’m riding a constant adrenaline high.’ Wally forced himself to tap his foot slowly, as not to betray his true identity to those around him. He looked around for the girl who he was doing all of this for. All he saw was a sea of black, blonde, and even some red hair peeking over the tops of clothing racks. Wally sighed and looked down at his watch, biting the inside of his cheek to keep himself occupied and in the moment.

Suddenly, someone tapped him on his right shoulder. He nearly acted on instinct, feeling the Speed Force surge within his system to fuel his speed. Wally clenched his fists and forced himself to remain calm as he _slowly_ turned to face a beautiful girl with caramel skin and long black hair. She was just two inches shorter than him, something that their friends never stopped ribbing him about. His face was lit up like a Christmas tree at the sight of her boyfriend, planting a kiss on his cheek.

“There you are!” Linda Park, the girlfriend of Wally West, yanked him by the elbow towards the exit of the store. “Linda, you gonna buy anything here?” The third generation Korean-American shook her head, looking back at Wally with her big brown eyes and pouted lips. “No, they didn’t have the blouse I wanted.”

Wally opened his mouth for a sarcastic remark before he saw the maniacal glint in his girlfriend’s eyes. ‘Son of a…’ Linda began to laugh at her boyfriend’s expression, pinching his cheek as they walked out into the crowded shopping mall. “You are so cute when you think I’m one of those ditzy girls.” As if to emphasize her point, she flipped her hair over her shoulder and walked ahead of him with a slight sway to her hips. Wally groaned as his very beautiful girlfriend taunted him with every step.

Suddenly, his phone began to ring, prompting him to stop in his tracks. The speedster quickly realized that he couldn’t reach his pockets with his hands full of shopping bags. “Linda, could you take these for a second?” The soon-to-be sophomore opened her mouth to utter some kind of retort, only to stop once she saw the look on Wally’s face. It was his ‘let’s get serious’ look: his green eyes full of fire, his brow furrowed in concentration. “Sure thing.”

As Linda took the bags out of his hands, Wally scrambled to grab his phone before it went to voicemail. Luckily, the caller seemed to be persistent, staying on the line long enough for Wally to thrust the phone against his ear. Linda had thankfully walked over to a nearby bench, giving him some privacy thankfully. “Yeah, this is Wally.”

“It’s me. The big guy just said yes. You’re supposed to meet Flash at STAR Labs at 7 o’clock tomorrow. Don’t be late.” The connection cut off before Wally could respond to his best friend. A huge grin threatened to split his face in two as he pocketed his phone once more. He looked over to Linda, who was playing a game on her phone while she waited for him.

Utilizing maybe just the tiniest fraction of his speed, Wally rushed over to his girlfriend and lightly tilted her chin upwards. Her brown eyes, at first widening with shock but then narrowing with recognition, stared into his vibrant green ones for a few moments. Wally leaned forward to kiss her, the brazenness behind the kiss somewhat shocking to Linda. Even more shocking, however, was the passion, the fire behind it. Normally Linda initiated such public displays of affection, with Wally protesting loudly.

Now, as Wally pulled back, breathing a little faster, Linda grinned. She grabbed him by the collar and pulled him in for another long, drawn-out kiss. “Let’s go back to your car. I like this new Wally. What, you get good news or something?”

“Something like that, yeah.” That feeling of adrenaline, pulsing through his veins, Wally never wanted it to stop.

* * *

MOUNT JUSTICE  
JULY 8, 08:04 EDT  
2020

For the first time in years, sounds of life echoed within the halls of the Justice League’s original headquarters. Buried within a mountain just outside of Happy Harbor, Rhode Island, the fortress was undetectable by scanners and built to withstand a direct nuclear detonation. Queen Consolidated and Wayne Enterprises had secretly funded the construction of such an impressive facility, but both Martian Manhunter and Superman had provided technologies which far outstripped anything currently made by humans. The result of all this was that the Secret Sanctuary was one of the most advanced facilities on the planet: a perfect place to host a new team of superheroes.

In the cave’s mission room, a massive chamber near the center of the mountain, both Zeta-Tubes powered up. “Recognized: Flash, 04. Kid Flash, B04. Aquaman, 06. Aqualad, B02.” The two pairs of superheroes walked out of the teleporter tubes into the cavernous room, where some Leaguers were doing some last minute repairs. John Stewart was carrying a large cylindrical object, its purpose unknown to the heroes, while Superman was holding up the massive holographic projector jutting out from the ceiling. Captain Atom used his energy projection powers to finish some welding, looking down at his Kryptonian counterpart. “Almost done, Superman.”

The Man of Tomorrow chuckled as he effortlessly held up the multi-ton machine. “Take your time. No rush, I could do this all day.” That elicited another chuckle, this one from a different Kryptonian down on the ground. Superboy stood just under the projector, dressed in entirely new clothes he had purchased with his new ward a few days before. He sported a black T-shirt with his family’s crest on his chest, covered partially by the brown leather jacket Superman had given him. Lois had thought it hilarious that his clone loved the jacket so much. Finally, the young Kryptonian donned dark blue fatigue pants and dark-brown combat boots, making him look less like a superhero and more like a bad boy from a classic 80’s movie.

Robin, who was standing next to his mentor as Batman updated the Cave’s computer systems, had cackled at Superboy’s unconventional appearance. Not because it looked funny, but because it fit his personality all too well. The clone had merely narrowed his eyes at the younger acrobat, desperately wanting heat vision in that moment if only to threaten with. The failure of Superboy to incinerate his target only made Robin laugh more.

Robin himself was dressed in casual clothing: a red hoodie and a maroon jacket hanging open over it paired with dark jeans, skate shoes, and dark sunglasses to conceal his identity. Batman’s orders. The Dark Knight and the other adult heroes in the room were all dressed in their uniforms, always ready to be deployed at a moment’s notice.

Flash and his protégé zoomed up to the gathering. Wally was wearing dark brown pants, a long-sleeve white T-shirt to combat the chill in the mountain fortress, and a short-sleeve blue collared shirt left unbuttoned. His sneakers were already worn from his running, despite being bought just three days before. Flash was dressed in his usual suit, custom made by STAR Labs for the needs of a speedster.

Wally punched his best friend on the shoulder. “Hey Rob, how’s it going?” Robin turned to regard Wally through his dark glasses. Wally suppressed the urge to roll his eyes at the ridiculousness of wearing sunglasses deep inside a mountain base. Sometimes Batman’s rules seemed utterly ridiculous to the teenage speedster, but at least Robin had trusted him enough to tell him his secret months ago.

Robin smirked. “Looking good Wall-man.” He pointed to a dark mark just above Wally’s collar, prompting the speedster to cover it with a groan. Robin cackled as his best friend’s face turned as red as his hair. “Looks like you and a certain someone are getting along well.” Before Wally could open his mouth to respond, Aqualad walked up to the two. The Atlantean wore black pants with black sandals, as well as a blue and black jacket with a high collar to hide his gills. “Hello my friends.”

Robin looked up at the tall Atlantean, smiling like a maniac. It was clear that Robin was excited about today. Aqualad gave a soft smile himself as he realized the significance of this day for all of them. The only one that they were missing was…

“Recognized: Speedy, B02. Black Canary, 13. Red Tornado, 15.” The two Zeta-Tubes lit up once again, depositing an arguing pair from one and a completely silent android from the other. “I told you, I’m not talking to him!” Speedy tried to storm away from Black Canary, only to be held back by a firm hand around his bicep. He turned around to confront a saddened heroine, dressed in her usually jaw-dropping uniform. “He’s been so… distant the last few days. He needs you, Roy. More than you think.”

Speedy shook off Black Canary’s hand and began to walk away. “Tell GA to stay away. I’m not going to be his sidekick anymore.” That display of family in-fighting finished, Speedy now stood next to Aqualad, his best friend amongst the younger heroes. The archer was dressed in his favorite casual outfit: jeans with a black T-shirt and red hoodie. Aqualad raised his eyebrow in a questioning manner, only to be met with a smirk from his red hooded companion. The Atlantean sighed and turned to face Batman as the legendary hero finished his last task.

Captain Atom and Superman descended to join the group of Leaguers standing across from the young heroes. Superman flashed a smile towards his clone, who returned the favor. Batman cleared his throat and began to pace with his arms folded across his chest. “This cave was the original secret sanctuary of the Justice League. We’re calling it into service once again. Since you five are determined to stay together and fight the good fight, you’ll do it on League terms.” Batman stopped pacing and faced the young heroes.

He gestured to Red Tornado, the expressionless android now turned to face the team as well. “Red Tornado volunteered to live here and be your supervisor.” Black Canary was next, stepping forward to look on the young heroes with icy blue eyes which sent a shiver of fear down each of their spines. “Black Canary is in charge of training.” Speedy stifled a groan as the heroine’s lips curved upwards in a wolfish smile. She was one of the best fighters in the League, and judging by Speedy’s own experiences with her, training would not be a cake walk.

“I will deploy you on missions.” The Dark Knight’s last comment brought the teens attention back to him. Robin spoke directly to his mentor, asking the question on everyone’s mind. “Real missions?” Batman nodded to respond in the affirmative. “Yes, but covert.”

Flash zoomed next to his protégé, plopping an arm on his shoulder. “The League will still handle the obvious stuff.” The speedster jabbed a thumb at the Flash symbol emblazoned on his chest as he continued. “There’s a reason we have these big targets on our chests.” Aquaman stepped forward to follow up on Batman and Flash’s contributions. “But Cadmus proves the bad guys are getting smarter. Batman needs a team that can operate on the sly.” He turned to face Batman as he finished his thought. The Dark Knight pointed to the five teens assembled before him.

“The five of you will be that team.” Even Speedy couldn’t help but grin at that. This was the start of something new, something unprecedented in all their young lives. Aqualad summed it up with the phrase that started it all. “Today is the day.”

* * *

MONGOLIA  
JULY 8, 09:13 ICT  
2020

A powerfully-built man stood before seven screens, all projecting figures concealed by bright white light. The man was older, yet still incredibly fit for his age, his chosen uniform revealing hardened muscles and short blond hair. He wore a sleeveless blue muscle shirt with a collar, the shirt lined with Kevlar for extra protection, along with elbow pads, armored plates on his left arm, and fingerless gloves. His belt was similar to utility belts utilized by some costumed heroes, such as Batman, holding most of his gear with the rest contained in his black pants’ pockets. Finally, the man’s face was completely covered by a gray hockey mask, showing only his brown eyes to the world.

“Sportsmaster, report.” The gruff baritone of L-1 left no room for Sportsmaster’s sarcastic wit, so the assassin merely pulled a small metal case from his belt. Popping it open, he withdrew a vial of blue liquid, holding it up for the figures to see. One of them, L-3, clapped softly in appreciation of the enforcer’s skills. “Well done, Mister Crock. You managed to secure it right under the noses of the Justice League.”

Behind his mask, Sportsmaster smiled. He was still one of the best in the business, no matter how much that upstart prick with the orange mask said otherwise. That’s why the Light trusted him to do their dirty work. He was methodical, precise, and more importantly, he was loyal to the cause.

L-1 addressed his fellow members. “Cadmus is under scrutiny from the _heroes_. Donovan must be kept quiet if our other projects are to remain hidden.” L-3 nodded, the shape of his head still visible through the near-blinding light. “I agree. We will make sure that his programming is up to date.”

L-1 turned to face Sportsmaster. “Sportsmaster, make the delivery to our slippery little friends and inform them that the plan is still on. We expect the shipment by no later than the end of August.” Sportsmaster nodded his acknowledgement, moving to exit the room through a door hidden in a rock face. With the room now empty, L-3 spoke once more.

“Despite our setback at Cadmus, there is a larger problem which concerns me. The children.” A picture of the five heroes who had escaped from Cadmus flashed up on screen. “We now know the League is willing to employ young heroes to do their dirty work. That’s a dark twist.” L-3 said the last sentence differently, almost as if he was mocking them.

L-1 thought carefully about their options. He had been alive long enough to learn that the best laid plans required adjustment. “Yes, but one that can be played to our advantage. Even the temporary loss of the weapon may prove useful.” He paused for dramatic effect, ever fitting the stereotype of a mysterious cabal leader.

“Eventually everyone sees the light.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there you have it: the first section of Young Justice: The Heroic Age! So a few notes:
> 
> 1\. I decided not to make Superman a giant tool in this story and actually embrace his “son.” I understand why he would be apprehensive, but they have a telepath in the League to verify Superboy’s sincerity. Remember, in this story, Superboy was actively trying to escape from Cadmus, so he’s a little more clearly on the heroes’ side. Besides, Superboy can still struggle with his identity even with a father figure. He was created to be a living weapon: he will still struggle to fit in with normal people, as well as living in the shadow of Superman. Besides, he might have a different moral code than the Big Blue Boy Scout (hint: the G-Gremlin.)  
> 2\. You may notice that Wally is currently dating Linda Park. The romantic relationships in this won’t be as quickly formed in this story as in the show. Nor will they be exactly the same.  
> 3\. No Miss Martian! Don’t worry, she’ll show up soonish! Also, I’m introducing some characters before they actually show up in the show (I mean, it is an AU.)  
> 4\. Speedy is part of the Team! Yeah, Roy Harper is going to play a big role in the story, as a central member of the Team, not a free agent like in season 1 of the show.
> 
> So I don't have an exact upload schedule. Sorry.
> 
> Until then, enjoy!


	6. The Brave and the Bold

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After over a week of being a team, the young heroes have not yet received a mission. When an emergency breaks out at a nearby power plant, the Team leaps into action, only to discover an opponent that will test their abilities both as heroes and as teammates.
> 
> First Steps: Part 1 of 5

**SECTION II: FIRST STEPS**

Chapter 6: The Brave and the Bold

* * *

STAR CITY  
JULY 17, 23:16 PDT  
2020

While not many citizens wanted to acknowledge it, Star City had a dark side. While in the daylight it may seem sleek and modern, once the sun sets, the true nature of the city became apparent. Even the efforts of a revitalized police force, under the leadership of Commissioner Pike and Captain Hall, as well as Team Arrow had only been able to bring their war with organized crime to a stalemate, neither side able to achieve victory over the other. But the heroes who defended this city would never stop fighting.

Down at the docks, one of those heroes was perched on top of a crane, observing a group of gangbangers pull up in a mismatch of older vehicles to a group of offloaded shipping containers just below him. He smirked as a familiar man, one well known to Star’s citizens, stepped out of a black SUV to oversee the unsealing of the first container. “Let’s go boys, these guns aren’t going to unload themselves!”

The hero placed his binoculars back on his belt and drew his old recurve bow. Purchased with his own money when he was just fifteen, he had refused all offers to replace it since. Just like Ollie’s first bow from his time on Lian Yu, it had sentimental value to him. Plus, it worked just fine.

Two gangsters, wearing red bandanas to hide their faces, opened up the container to reveal unmarked black crates. Brick smiled, smoothing out the wrinkles in his custom tailored suit jacket. “Well, well, looks like Christmas came early. Alright, boys, you know what to do.” That’s all he needed to hear.

Speedy drew a flashbang arrow from his quiver and took aim at the two gangbangers who had begun to carry out the cases of weapons. Smirking, the young vigilante let loose, watching the red-fletched arrow detonate next to the two men. Both screamed and dropped the case they were carrying, grabbing their ears and writhing in pain. Brick, although shielding his eyes for a second, blinked and scowled up at the red-clad archer. “You! This is the third time this week!”

Speedy smirked and nocked another arrow. He, much like his mentor, used a voice filter to disguise his voice. “Sorry to be such a bother.” Brick, absolutely livid at this point, reached down and picked up one of the weapons that had been scattered by Speedy’s earlier assault. The gun was a little bulky than the average handgun, but had been clearly modified with advanced technology. The gang leader flashed the young hero a wolfish smile as the gun’s barrel began to glow red.

“I’m getting a little insulted that Green Arrow isn’t involved in your little crusade. Let’s fix that.” Squeezing the trigger, Brick sent a red particle bolt towards the young hero, who quickly rolled out of the way. The bolt slammed into his previous position, exploding in a burst of intense heat which warmed even Brick’s invulnerable skin. The crime lord laughed and kept sending bolts towards the archer, who continued to dodge while prepping an explosive arrow. Seizing an opportunity between volleys, Speedy fired the arrow directly into the barrel of Brick’s gun, destroying it along with his suit. Once the smoke cleared, the leader of the Orchid Bay Butchers growled as he looked down at the tatters of fabric that once made up his suit. “Do you know what I pay for a suit in my size?”

He turned to his gang and waved them forward, all now armed with the new particle weapons. “Scorch the earth boys.” Speedy, using a grappling arrow to swing over to a stack of shipping containers, landed in a parachute roll and spun to find eight gangsters pointing their weapons at him. Before he could even draw an arrow to respond, a yellow streak of electricity knocked down two, then four of the men. The rest, alarmed by the blur, turned to fire on it, only for black Batarangs to knock their guns out of their hands. A cackling boy swung over their heads to land on the same stack of shipping containers as Speedy, turning around to reveal a smirking Robin.

The thugs groaned and reached down for their weapons once more, only to hear a loud thud on the shipping container above them. Looking up, their eyes widened in fear as they took in the muscular Atlantean teen standing with his water bearers at his sides. “I believe you have the right to remain silent.” Before they could even move, two water whips smashed the four men into the nearby vehicles, knocking them unconscious. Aqualad, his face implacable, swung off to aid his friends, leaving the thugs around for the police to deal with.

Speedy fired off two more explosive arrows, which were followed immediately by a series of Batarangs courtesy of Robin. The explosives detonated upon impact with their intended targets: the shipping containers containing the weapons for the Orchid Bay Butchers. As Brick’s arsenal went up in flames, the metahuman crime lord, enraged by the loss of his weapons, jabbed a finger at the offending teenagers, who had gathered alongside their archer friend atop some shipping containers. “This isn’t over, _Speedy_.” The archer’s eyes narrowed as he fired off another trick arrow, only for Brick to dodge and flee into the smoke and shadows permeating the docks. Speedy swore and turned to his friends, who were standing in various states of attention. “Where’s Superboy?”

Robin shrugged. “In Metropolis with Superman. Besides, this is an intervention for a friend.” Aqualad stepped forward and placed a hand on Speedy’s shoulder. “Roy, please, come back to Happy Harbor with us. The Team needs you. We need you.”

The archer’s eyes narrowed from behind his domino mask. “Don’t you realize what they’re doing?” He shook off Aqualad’s hand and walked over to the lip of the shipping container, looking out over the burning refuse of the Butchers’ operation. “Do you think Arrow, or any Leaguer, would have let us take on this mission solo? No.” The redhead turned back to his friends, who stood in silence as he spoke. “And why? I’ve been fighting side-by-side with Green Arrow for three years now, and what do I have to show for it? I’m just a sidekick to him, a student who still hasn’t lived up to the teacher’s expectations. Well, I just took down three of Brick’s operations in the last week, all by myself, while GA was off doing who knows what.”

“And now, you want me to be not only his lackey, but one for the entire League?” Speedy shoved past Kid Flash and Robin, nocking a grappling line arrow. “I’ll pass. And if you knew all better, you would too. We don’t need the League telling us what to do. What do we have to prove to them anymore?” Without another word, the archer fired his arrow at a nearby crane, swinging off into the darkness to hunt down Brick. The other three heroes stood there, stunned by their friend’s words: what if Speedy was right all along?

* * *

MOUNT JUSTICE  
JULY 18, 11:16 EDT  
2020

The next day, deep within the small mountain outside of Happy Harbor, the two Zeta-Tubes located within the main briefing room whirled to life. “Recognized: Robin, B-0-1. Kid Flash, B-0-4.” Both heroes materialized in a burst of yellow light, having been transported over hundreds of miles to the Cave. Kid Flash vibrated a little as he felt his stomach roll and pitch like a ship on stormy seas. “Maybe I should just run here instead.”

Robin, also unused to Zeta-Beam transport, shook his head to dispel the intense headache that had appeared out of nowhere. “They really ought to tell us about some of the side effects from the tubes.” Kid Flash looked over at his non-powered friend. His unique physiology as a conduit of the Speed Force helped to shield him from the worst of the maladies related from Zeta-Beam travel, but Robin was forced to endure it all. ‘Ignoring pain must be something Batman taught him,’ the young speedster silently remarked as the protégé of Batman stood proud and tall, triumphing over the pain from his sheer force of will.

Robin then turned to his best friend, a grin characteristically stamped on his face. “Let’s go man.” The boy, dressed in a green hoodie and black jacket combo with his usual dark jeans and skate shoes, raced off towards the two other boys standing near the active holo-computer. He cackled as a streak of yellow lightning whizzed past him, only to coalesce once again into Kid Flash as the speedster slowed to a halt next to Superboy. The fastest kid alive smoothed out the wrinkles in his maroon short-sleeved button-down, currently undone to show his yellow long-sleeve shirt underneath. His blue jeans and red sneakers, worn from just days of his “jogging”, completed his outfit.

The Kryptonian he had raced over to looked him over with an appraising eye. Dressed exactly the same as he was during their meeting ten days before, Superboy looked very much unlike a superhero. In fact, Kid Flash half-expected him to be riding a Harley, not saving the world from injustice and tyranny. Superboy remained silent as Robin joined the group at Kid Flash’s side, instead turning back to the screen displaying a map of the surrounding area. A red dot, marked “RT-16” and with a headshot of Red Tornado, was moving over the water towards the mountain. Robin spoke up next, his tone betraying his excitement. “Where is he?”

Aqualad, so far silent, responded. “He is on his way. I expect he will be--” A whoosh and a cackle interrupted his train of thought, the breeze from Kid Flash’s abrupt departure ruffling his typical outfit of a blue jacket and black pants. Sighing, Aqualad turned to see not only the speedster gone, but Robin following after his super-fast friend. Superboy raised an eyebrow, silently questioning Aqualad’s intentions. The Atlantean spoke in a calm and relaxed tone, his words as collected as the ocean on a day of little wind. “We should follow them.”

Upon Kid Flash’s approach, the front entrance to the mountain, facing the forest and Happy Harbor, opened up with a whirl of hydraulics. The grass-covered ramp lowered to meet the hallway connecting it to the main hangar just in time for the speedster, barely breaking two hundred miles per hour, to zip up and out of the mountain. He ended up skidding to a halt in the small field separating the mountain and forest, his eyes turned skyward in an effort to locate the android.

The other four heroes walked up behind him minutes later, taking note of his frustrated pacing. “Calm down KF, he’ll be here.” Robin was infinitely more patient than his friend, who threw his hands up into the air and proclaimed to the forest. “I wish he’d just move faster!”

Right on cue, the trees rustled as the wind picked up. A few seconds later, a red whirlwind came into view, with a similarly colored android riding atop it. All four heroes, including the usually emotional distant Superboy, smiled a little as Red Tornado lowered himself to the ground, whipping up a small cloud of dirt and grass as he did so. Kid Flash raised his hand into the air and waved to the approaching android. “Red Tornado!”

His robotic face betraying no emotions, if he even had any, Red Tornado willed the winds to halt, depositing himself safely on the now still grassy field. “Greetings.” The aerokinetic android looked at all four heroes, his sensors taking in a variety of different bio-metric indicators before he continued. “Is there a reason you have intercepted me outside the Cave?”

Aqualad walked up next to Kid Flash, soon joined by the others as well. “We hoped you had a mission for us.” Red Tornado silently appraised the four again. “While I understand that you may be eager to begin working together, mission assignment are the Batman’s responsibility.” Without another word, the android began to walk past the four heroes, all now sullen at the brush-off response. Robin turned to address the retreating form of the android. “We understand, but it’s been ten days. We should--”

Red Tornado turned around, his arm held up to signal the end of discussion. “You’ll be tested soon enough.” The reply was incredibly cryptic, even for an android like Red Tornado. Before any of them could ask another question, the aerokinetic hero spoke again. “Perhaps you could tour Happy Harbor together.”

Superboy crossed his arms over his chest, signaling his increasing frustration. Both Kid Flash and Robin groaned at that response, with only Aqualad providing a collected reply. “This team is not just a gathering of friends. We are heroes, and we deserve to be as such.” Red Tornado tilted his head in confusion, formulating a response in the next few seconds. “And you will be, but I am told that a good team is close both on and off-duty.” The android’s little speech done, he turned and continued striding down the ramp into the base. Two beams of lights lanced out and scanned him as he reached the bottom, confirming his identity. “Recognized: Red Tornado, 1-6.”

All four heroes watched in stunned silence as their supervisor entered the Cave. Kid Flash was the first to speak, swiping his hand through the air in frustration. “Close both on and off-duty? Ugh.” Aqualad, trying to stay diplomatic, spoke with just a small bit of resentment in his voice. “He may be right. We should get to know each other better.”

The other three heroes were silent, but did not openly object to Aqualad’s suggestion. After a few seconds, Robin piped up. “Sure, why not? Let’s check out Happy Harbor: if we’re going to be working out of Mount Justice, we’ll probably be staying here for extended periods of time. Helps to know the terrain, so to speak.”

Wally nodded, only to wince as his stomach growled loudly. Clutching himself as if he had been shot, the speedster grinned sheepishly. “Any chance we could check out a local restaurant? I haven’t eaten third breakfast yet.” Both Superboy and Aqualad’s jaws dropped, but Robin just smiled. “Batman already told me the perfect place to go.”

* * *

STAR CITY  
JULY 18, 9:07 PDT  
2020

The sound of heels clacking against concrete floors woke Roy up from his fitful rest. His eyes fluttering open, he looked over to the middle of the room, where a familiar blonde stood smiling with a cup of coffee and a plastic bag on her right arm. The teenaged archer groaned and pulled his blanket over his head. Felicity tut-tutted as she set down the breakfast on one of the metal table strewn throughout the lair. “Walk up Roy, it’s 9:07. Time to go to school.” She was met with Roy’s best imitation of the Look, the term Felicity used for Oliver’s version of the Bat Glare. It didn’t even faze her, eliciting another groan from the redheaded archer.

Slowly but surely, he stood up from the air mattress, his back popping loudly. Yawning, Roy rubbed his eyes as he looked around for a shirt. Felicity kept on smiling that impossibly perky smile as the exhausted vigilante crossed over to the table and began to pick at his breakfast. Felicity pulled up her old rolling chair as Roy took a seat on a cold metal stool. Both were silent as Roy slowly ate the egg sandwich Felicity had brought him.

“You know, Oliver really misses you.” The casual tone behind Felicity’s remark set Roy’s eyebrow rocketing towards the ceiling. “We all miss you, but especially Oliver. He hasn’t really been himself lately.” Felicity watched as Roy continued to eat as if she had said nothing. She sighed and stood up to cross over to the now-active bank of computers, swiping some dust off the touch-screen monitor. “I think he’s trying to convince himself that this is just another example of teenage rebellion, and that you’ll come back once you calm down.”

Roy’s blood pressure skyrocketed on that last sentence. “I’m not coming back Felicity. Not this time.” The blonde hacker turned to see Roy, now fully awake, push up from the table and cross over to his uniform, on display on a mannequin once used to house the Arrow’s uniform. “How’d you find me here, anyways?”

Felicity scoffed as she sat back down in her chair, rotating a little from side to side. “Please. I’ve been picking up on some interesting chatter from the Orchid Bay Butchers. Apparently a certain bow-wielding vigilante has been disrupting their operations for the past week, and since Oliver has been busy with the League, there’s only one other person in the whole city that fits the bill.” Roy chuckled as he finished inspecting his gear, turning back around to face his former comrade.

“So, Felicity, what are you doing here? I mean, what do you want from me?” Felicity held a hand to her heart in mock outrage. “What, I can’t visit a friend without it being suspicious?” Roy merely smirked in response. Rolling her eyes, Felicity stood up and walked over to the metal table closest to the staircase. Now that she was walking in that direction, Roy noticed two large cases lying on said table. One was large and rectangular, almost like a suitcase, while the other was a simple chrome briefcase. Roy frowned as he walked over to join Felicity.

Team Arrow’s technical expert stood on the opposite side of the table from Roy, facing him with her ever-present smile. Without any questions from the confused archer, Felicity opened up the larger case. Inside, there were two main compartments: a large one holding what looked like fabric of some sort, and a smaller one containing a new black domino mask. Roy’s eyes widened as he pulled out the fabric from the larger one.

Much to his surprise, it was a completely new suit. It was predominantly black, with a red collar and diamond-shaped portion on the upper chest. The arms were bare, much like Oliver’s uniform, but Roy’s uniform came with black fingerless gloves and a bracer for his right arm as well. The young archer looked like a child on Christmas morning, eliciting a chuckle from Felicity as Roy laid the ensemble down on the table to inspect it fully.

“The protective layer is a tripolymer weave that incorporates Kevlar and some proprietary WayneTech material.” The maniacal glint in Felicity’s eye was unmistakable: she was cooperating with a certain pointy eared vigilante in Gotham. “It’ll stand up to knives and glancing bullets: straight on, it’s about 60-40 that the shot will penetrate.” Roy nodded solemnly: he was human after all and understood more than most the risks posed by bullets. “It’s designed for maximum range of motion, and comes with a thermal lining that should keep you toasty on those cold nights in Rhode Island.” Roy sighed and moved onto the domino mask. At first glance, it looked the same, but trying it on, he realized it also had night vision and a rudimentary HUD. ‘Woah, that is awesome.’

The briefcase turned out to contain something just as cool: a collapsible compound bow, also colored red, for missions that required more portability than his recurve bow would allow. Roy tested out the bow a few times before declaring it worthy. He wrapped Felicity in an uncharacteristic hug while asking her where she got this stuff from. Her response: “Jax owns me a favor or three.”

Roy handled the new suit with reverence, walking it over to the mannequin and carefully replacing his old suit with the new one. Once it was up on display, he took a step back and admired it with something akin to affection. Felicity walked up to the teen and patted him on the shoulder. “Welcome to the big leagues, kid.”

* * *

HAPPY HARBOR  
JULY 18, 12:35 EDT  
2020

Aqualad and Superboy were astounded: they hadn’t known someone could eat so much so quickly. But Kid Flash proved them wrong: he had already eaten three full stacks of pancakes and an entire plate of bacon, well on his way to finishing a second. The other three teens had partook in more modest meals, with Superboy consuming the least amount of food. When pressed, he simply responded: “My people don’t need to eat.”

In fact, during the entire conversation, Superboy was distant. At one point, Kid Flash had begun to quiz him on his abilities in a low voice. “So you finally visited STAR Labs this week. They figure out why you can’t fly?” Superboy had shrugged and played with his eggs. “Superman says it might just be I’m too young. We don’t know though: it’s a pretty advanced ability.”

Robin tried to cheer him up after that. “You know, Flash can vibrate his molecules right through a wall. KF tries it once: bloody nose.” The young protégé of Batman had cackled as Kid Flash sputtered and tried to come up with a clever retort. Both still noticed the slight smile on Superboy’s face afterwards.

Now that Kid Flash seemed to be nearing a stopping point, Robin flagged down a waitress in the nearly deserted diner. It was a quiet Saturday, with most of the town outside enjoying the weather on their day off. That was perfect for the young heroes, who didn’t want any scrutiny being “not from around here.” The waitress, somewhat horrified at the redheaded speedster’s consumption of thousands of calories like it was nothing, softened somewhat when she saw Superboy. Her face now flush, she retreated to the cash register to ring up the teens on Robin’s credit card. When Aqualad tried to protest, Robin held up his hand: “Batman’s got this.”

As they waited for the waitress to return, Kid Flash turned to Superboy. “So Supey, you check out that waitress’s reaction? She’s a total babe, and she was definitely checking you out.” Before the Kryptonian teen could respond, Aqualad laid a hand on his shoulder. “Perhaps it is best we not use our aliases while on duty. It would be best not to attract attention to ourselves.” All three of them nodded.

Superboy frowned. “But I don’t know any of your names.” Aqualad smiled at his new friend. “You can call me Kaldur’ahm, or Kaldur for short.” Kid Flash went next. “I’m Wally, and before you ask Mr. Dark Sunglasses over here, the Bat has forbidden him to reveal his secret ID.” Superboy was puzzled by that: why wouldn’t Batman let Robin do that? He could detect a slight increase in Robin’s heartrate at that point, indicating that he was probably hiding something other than his name from the Team.

Before Superboy could speak, the waitress, a teenaged girl with tanned skin and dark hair, came back to their table. On her way, she tripped over a board jutting up from the floor, falling to the ground with a cry of surprise. She was even more surprised when a pair of warm, strong arms arrested her fall and pulled her back to her feet. Blinking quickly from shock, the girl turned to see the boy with dark hair and startlingly blue eyes standing there. “Thank you.” The boy rubbed the back of his neck, a sheepish smile on his lips. “Don’t mention it.”

Putting herself out there, the girl stuck her hand out. “Tana Moon. I just moved here, so I probably haven’t met you yet.” Superboy smiled and shook her hand as gently as he could. “It’s okay. I’m new here too. I’m Conner Kent.” Tana smiled warmly, forgetting where she was in the moment. “Well, Conner, I hope to see you again soon.” They both stood there for a few seconds, lost in each other’s eyes. The cook erupted forth from the kitchen and stared at the two before yelling at Tana. “Moon, stop making googly eyes with the hunk and help the other customers!” The spell broken, Tana, her cheeks darkening, dropped off Robin’s receipt before moving to another table.

When Conner turned back to his group of friends, all of them were smiling, even Kaldur. “Well done my friend.” Wally patted his more muscular pal on the back as the four of them made their way out of the diner. “That is how it is done. Now all you have to do…” Robin interrupted his friend’s musings. “Don’t listen to him: I’m still trying to figure out the mind control serum he used to get Linda to date him for so long.”

Wally scoffed and held a hand to his chest. “You wound me, old friend. I thought it was my boyish charm and devilishly good looks.” Robin was about to retort when his watch began to beep. Frowning, he looked around to make sure no one was around before opening a holographic display. “Looks like there’s an alert at the Happy Harbor power station. Should we check it out?”

Wally shrugged. “Sure, what’s the worst that could happen?”

* * *

“I take it back. Bad things can happen.” When they got to the power station, a tornado was ripping apart the parking lot heading towards the large building. Aqualad was the first to speak. “Robin, are tornadoes common in New England?” There was no response. “Robin?” Aqualad and the others looked around, only to find Robin gone and the sound of cackling carried on an above-average wind.

Suddenly, the windows in the plant began to burst inwards, indicating a drop in pressure from within the building. Without a second thought, Wally rushed off in a burst of yellow lightning, leaving the other two heroes to follow. A groan echoed out from inside the building, prompting Superboy to lay on his speed and leave Aqualad in the dust.

The scene Superboy saw when he entered the plant was remarkable. Robin lay on the floor, clutching his stomach and trying to catch a breather. Nearby, a large man wearing what appeared to be a suit of powered armor was surrounded by a ring of yellow lightning. The suit was mostly red, with black armor further augmenting the arms and chest in certain vital areas. Large devices were mounted on the undersides of each arm, with glowing blue tubes feeding into the devices from what appeared to be spigots on his shoulders. Two blue photoreceptors stared out at the assembled heroes, unblinking and completely unnerving.

Superboy leapt to Robin’s side, landing in a kneeling crouch. “Who’s your new friend?” Robin winced as he sat up. “Don’t know, but he plays kind of rough.” Superboy nodded and charged the man with a roar. A voice, filtered to sound robotic, echoed forth from the suit. “My apologies. You may call me… Mister Twister.”

The devices on his arms suddenly began to glow even brighter, just before spewing forth two miniature cyclones. Alarmed by his opponent’s display of power, Superboy nevertheless pressed on, despite Aqualad’s shouted warning. “Superboy, wait!” The Kryptonian slowed to a snail’s pace as the winds picked up, struggling against hurricane force winds localized to his vicinity. Twister chuckled and merely upped his power, sending Superboy careening into the wall of the facility. Upon contact, at his velocity, Superboy was sent flying through the concrete wall in front of him and into the forest beyond.

Kid Flash, currently running around in a circle to confuse the enemy, yelled at Mister Twister. “Hey ugly, pick on someone else!” Turning and using his momentum to his advantage, Wally vaulted into a handspring, flipping forward to deliver a double kick to his opponent’s chest at super speed. The man in the suit simply summoned the air around him to form a cyclone, spitting the speedster back out at the other incoming heroes. Aqualad caught Kid Flash with a groan, leaving Robin alone against the juggernaut. “I was expecting to fight a superhero, not children. Where are your mommy and daddy?”

Robin’s rage exploded through the roof at that last comment. “We’re not children!” He flung two of his signature red circular Batarangs at the villain, who merely deflected them with the wind. “Objectively, you are. I find the fact you’re here without any kind of supervision quite… disturbing.” By now, both Kid Flash and Aqualad had pulled themselves to their feet, their clothing torn in places but unhurt. They joined Robin, readying themselves for a long fight. Robin almost snarled and drew three more Batarangs. “I’m sorry to see you’re disturbed. Maybe you’ll be more turbed once we kick your butt.”

Robin threw the Batarangs, his distraction leaving open a path for Kid Flash and Aqualad to attack. Kid Flash aimed a super-fast punch for Twister’s knee, hoping to cripple the suit, while Aqualad, his arms alight with bio-electricity, aimed to fry the devices on each arm. Both only took a few steps before their feet left the ground, lifted upwards by two cyclones. Twister was expressionless as he clapped his hands together, knocking the two heroes into each other. Robin was similarly dispatched with a flick of the wrist, leaving Twister to gloat. “Indeed. That was quite… turbing.” The man, now floating above the ground, left the building in the direction of the forest.

Outside, Superboy picked himself up after digging a quarter-mile long trench into the forest. Trees had become kindling after being smashed by a Kryptonian’s body, but he ignored the damage he had done. He instead set his eyes on the floating man in the suit, racing forward to lay a heavy blow to Twister’s chest. Conner never made it, being held back once more by a tornado. “I will end you!” Twister laughed a little at that: it was the first time since they started that he exhibited any emotion really. “Oh really?”

Superboy was flung back once more, only to pick himself up yet again. By this point, the other three heroes had raced out to join him, Aqualad trying desperately to hold the enraged Kryptonian back. “Superboy, hold on! We need to make a plan!”

Twister sighed and raised his arms into the sky as he rose higher and higher. A dark storm cloud began to form, crackling with electricity. Kid Flash scratched his head. “Uh, guys, I think we should…” Before any of them could even think of moving, a lightning bolt struck the ground nearby, sending a plume of dirt into the air and knocking three of the four heroes unconscious temporarily. Superboy, taking the brunt of the attack, merely ripped off his tattered leather jacket and leapt towards the villain, his arm cocked back for an incredibly strong punch. This time, an even stronger lightning bolt leapt from the storm cloud and slammed into the soaring Kryptonian’s chest. Smoking from the intense electric discharge, Superboy fought to stay conscious as he plummeted to the ground. His momentum carried him even after impact, carving another trench into the ground.

Mister Twister hovered above them, conflicted about his next move. Clearly, he found he had better things to do, leaving the four young heroes to lick their wounds as he moved towards Happy Harbor.

* * *

STAR CITY  
JULY 18, 09:51 PDT  
2020

Felicity had stayed in Roy’s lair for a little while, helping him to configure the older computers currently in use and watching him train with a sparring dummy. Eventually, after thirty minutes of sweat and hard work, both of them came to a halt as an alert came through. Throwing on a T-shirt, Roy stood next to Felicity as she flitted from page to page. “What is it?”

Felicity’s ever present smile was gone. Something was wrong. “Is it Oliver? Dig? Laurel?”

Felicity shook her head. “No, it’s a League alert. Odd, only you seem to have gotten it. It’s from Red Tornado. ‘Team in trouble. Needs help ASAP.’ Roy…” Felicity turned to see the young archer leaning over a nearby table, his eyes closed.

The hacker stood up and walked over to place a hand on Roy’s shoulder. “I know how you feel about the Team, but you have to realize that it isn’t about you being Oliver’s or the League’s lackey. It’s about standing beside your friends, no matter what. You can’t do this alone: even Oliver realized that eventually. Learn from his mistakes: don’t push away your friends, and don’t abandon them when they need you.”

For a few moments, the lair fell silent as Roy contemplated his next move. Felicity took a step back and walked over to the mannequin that held his new uniform. “Think of it as an opportunity to truly start over. To finally get out from under Oliver’s shadow. To become someone else, to become something else.”

On that, Roy finally opened his eyes. He had made his decision.

* * *

HAPPY HARBOR  
JULY 18, 13:01 EDT  
2020

Robin came to first, ironically since he was the only normal human in the entire group. Sitting up, he could feel the fire in his muscles from a dozen little injuries, but at least no bones were broken. He could handle the small stuff for now: they had a job to do.

Not long after, Aqualad, Kid Flash, and finally Superboy all got to their feet, brushing off the dust and grass from their civvies. Kid Flash turned to Superboy, fury evident in his expression. “Why didn’t you listen? If you had attacked with us, we could have stood a better chance.” Superboy was unsure: why had he attacked without thinking? He wasn’t injured in the assault, but his teammates could have been, as a result of his actions.

Aqualad placed a hand on Kid Flash’s shoulders. “Now is not the time to lay blame for the results of this battle, for it is not yet over. Look.” The other three teens followed Aqualad’s outstretched finger to see a tornado heading towards Happy Harbor. Kid Flash looked to Robin and then to Superboy. “Supey, maybe it’s best if you stay here for now.” Superboy’s eyes widened, only for Robin to back up his best friend. “KF’s right. Sorry dude: you’ll just be in the way at this point.” He placed a communicator in Superboy’s palm. “Try to get in contact with RT, have him send reinforcements. We’ll hold off Twister.”

Without another word, Kid Flash picked up his friend and shot off into the distance, chasing the tornado in hopes of somehow stopping it before it reached Happy Harbor. Superboy, dejected, looked to Aqualad for guidance. “I’m sorry. I was just trying to help.” The Atlantean smiled softly and placed a hand on Superboy’s shoulder. “I know. You just need more time. Head back to the Cave, do as Robin said. We will hold off Twister until the League arrives.”

With that, Aqualad signaled to Kid Flash with his communicator. “Kid, I could use a pickup.” A yellow blur shot in, grabbed the dark skinned teen, and raced off again. Superboy was left alone, silently looking out over the scene of the Team’s first defeat. He replayed the battle again and again in his mind, trying to find out what went wrong.

His communicator squawked, prompting Superboy to answer. “This is Superboy.”

“Superboy, listen, where are the others?” Speedy’s voice filtered in over the radio channel, filling Superboy with even more dread. He had forgotten all about the archer: surely he would just say more about Superboy’s lack of experience. “I’m picking up a GPS signal from you near the Happy Harbor power plant, but everyone else isn’t showing up on comms.” Superboy looked towards Happy Harbor, where the tornado was now tearing through the small coastal village.

“We encountered an unknown villain. He must be jamming their communications.” Superboy heard Speedy say something entirely unrepeatable, before the archer truly responded. “Well, tell them I’m on my way. How are you guys holding up?”

“I don’t know, I’m not there right now.” Another unrepeatable phrase.

“Superboy, what the hell are you doing? Get down there and help them.” Superboy bit his indestructible lip as he contemplated his response. “They told me to stay put, something about lack of experience. Besides, we should call in the League.”

Speedy had to chuckle at that one. “Oh really? Didn’t the Boy Wonder tell you anything about how on his first mission, he fought an entire gang alongside Batman? Or about how on my first outing with Green Arrow, the Triad nearly put a bullet in me?” The line was silent. “Plus, I can’t get in contact with the League, and Red Tornado is nowhere to be found in this accursed mountain.”

“Point is, they need you. Whether you know it or not, they really do Superboy. So rendezvous with me at the diner on the edge of town: I’ll be there shortly.”

With that, the line went dead. Superboy looked back towards the battlefield, where the twister continued to rip the town apart. In that moment, his eyes narrowed. Using his super-strong legs, the Kryptonian leapt high into the air, eventually landing hundreds of yards away. He jumped again, heading directly for Happy Harbor. His friends needed his help.

* * *

And they sure did. A second tornado had sprung up, sucking up tons of water and boats and depositing both on dry land. The denizens of Happy Harbor were caught in the crossfire between hero and villain, with the teens doing everything they could to keep Twister’s attention on them. “Hey ugly, I’m right here!” Kid Flash managed to slip through Twister’s defenses while the villain was focused on forming the second cyclone, landing a solid high-speed kick to his metal torso.

“You are an annoyance I can no longer tolerate! I have more important things to worry about!” He swept away Kid Flash with a wave of his hand, only to be met with a barrage of explosive Batarangs from the Boy Wonder. He had somehow equipped his utility belt, quipping that “I never leave home without it. First thing Batman taught me.” The metal man stepped through the explosion like it was nothing, his concentration never faltering. “My tornadoes cannot be stopped. I am the storm, I am the lightning, I am…”

Descending with a roar, Superboy slammed a fist harder than steel into Twister’s chest, denting the metal slightly and knocking him back. The Boy of Steel took a combat stance as the aerokinetic villain scoffed at the Kryptonian’s sudden reappearance. Kid Flash zoomed up next to Superboy, his mouth open in the beginnings of a scolding. “Not now, KF. Stop that tornado: Speedy told me about the first time your mentor stopped Weather Wizard.”

The speedster was stunned by Superboy’s total focus. “GO!” Kid Flash nodded dumbly and zoomed off to run circles around the tornado. Luckily for him, this tornado was nowhere close to as powerful as the one faced by his mentor all those years ago. Clocking in at around five hundred miles per hour for thirty seconds would be enough to unravel it.

Mister Twister saw what the speedster was doing, raising his arm to try and bolster his creation. He had to dodge a punch thrown by Superboy, who roared at him. “I’m right here! Forget him!” Amused by the Kryptonian’s challenge, Twister turned back to face him. “Alright, _boy_. Let’s see how long you last this time.”

Superboy smirked as he charged the man in the suit, braving gale-force winds once more. Twister upped the ante with increased wind speed, but Superboy only faltered for a second. He had a job to do, people to protect, and no man in a tin can would stop him. He broke through Twister’s defensive screen to land two solid hits on his opponent’s chest, large dents appearing in the burnished metal. Enraged, Twister flung him back with a mini-cyclone.

“Insolent child! Prepare to die!” Twister summoned another lightning bolt to strike the Kryptonian, who much to the villain’s surprise remained conscious after the powerful blast. Still, he was hunched over and wheezing as the man in the powered suit made his way over to the fallen teen. Twister’s gauntlets crackled with electricity as he prepared to finish Superboy off. “What did you think to accomplish? You may be strong, but I’m stronger. Did you really believe you could defeat me alone?”

Superboy looked up and chuckled. “No. That’s why my friend is about to hit you with an arrow.”

Suddenly, Twister’s body lit up with electricity, eliciting a loud shout from the villain. Three trick arrows with electrical payloads had lodged in his armored back and detonated. Stumbling forward, the villain was helpless to stop Superboy from grabbing ahold of him. The Kryptonian unleashed all his strength into two hard blows which actually penetrated through the entire chassis. The third punch sent Twister flying, minus his left arm which remained securely in Superboy’s grip.

The dazed villain bounced once, twice on the hard asphalt of the coastal road and then landed with a splash in the harbor. Shaking his head and attempting to reorient himself, Mister Twister turned around to see a shirtless Aqualad swim towards him with a large anchor in his grasp. Swinging the anchor as hard as he could into Twister’s torso, the young Atlantean electrified the metal, causing a miniature detonation that claimed the villain’s other arm.

The force of the explosion propelled Twister back onto dry land, only to be assaulted by a swarm of Batarangs. The mini-explosives took their toll, sending him careening to the ground with jagged cracks forming across his torso and helmet. With no weapon systems remaining, the only course of action was for Twister to bring himself to a kneeling position and watch as the four heroes from before, joined now by an archer in red, come towards him.

The blue eyes of Twister blinked out as the torso popped open to reveal a man piloting the suit inside. The man, disoriented from the rough battle, collapsed to the ground with a groan. He looked up at the heroes with a sneer. “So, it seems we’ve found ourselves a little nest of heroes. I for one--” His words turned to gurgles as Superboy calmly picked him up by the throat. The Kryptonian’s iron grip closed in around the man’s windpipe as his eyes widened in fear. “You talk too much.”

Superboy jerked the man’s neck to the side hard, letting the body fall to the ground. The other four heroes watched in horror as Superboy lifted up his leg to stomp on the man’s head. “Superboy, no!” Aqualad tried to rush forward and stop his friend from doing it, but it was too late. The Kryptonian teen’s foot smashed the skull of the man to pieces.

Robin walked up to Superboy and jabbed him in the chest with his finger. “We do not execute our captives! I don’t care what Cadmus has taught you; we don’t do that!”

Superboy’s only reply was a smirk and a casual, “I thought you trusted me.” Lifting his foot up slowly, the clone revealed not a pool of brains, blood and bone, but a mess of sparking wiring, metal, and circuit boards. Superboy pointed to the Twister suit first. “I wasn’t reading a normal human thermal signature at first, but I thought it might be the suit interfering with my infrared vision. But when he popped out, I knew he couldn’t be human. I recognized the pattern from Cadmus’s own designs for androids: similar heat signature.”

Kid Flash walked over and picked up the only intact eye from the head. He smirked and tossed it into the air to catch. “Cool. Souvenir.”

* * *

Later that night, after bringing the remains of both the Twister suit and its android pilot into the Cave, the Team gave its report to Red Tornado. Aqualad spoke as the Leaguer examined his android brother, impassively taking in its construction. “Its purpose was unclear, although from the similar abilities and desire to ‘face a real hero,’ I do believe it wanted to fight you.” Red Tornado nodded, his servos in his neck whirring as he did so. “Agreed.”

Roy stepped forward to address Tornado. “Is that why, when push came to shove, you were nowhere to be found?” The android responded quickly and without a trace of emotion. “No. Despite its intention, this android was your battle. I do not believe that it is my role to solve your problems for you. Nor should you solve mine for me.” That gave pause to the teens, who all looked up at the exchange between archer and android.

Roy smirked. “Of course it is. GA told me a lot of stories about you, but they don’t really capture it fully.” Red Tornado did not respond, instead turning around and making his way out of the main briefing room. Kid Flash stood up and watched him walk away. “You know, the rest of the League would have jumped at the opportunity to ‘help’ us.” Robin, now joining the speedster at his side, nodded in agreement. “Guess if we’re gonna have a baby sitter, a heartless machine is exactly what we need.”

Kid Flash looked over at Robin. “Dude, harsh.” Much to everyone’s surprise, the next one to speak was Red Tornado. “And inaccurate. I have a heart, carbon-steel alloy. I also have excellent hearing.” Wait, was that sarcasm from the android? Robin rubbed the back of his head, looking extremely apologetic. “Sorry, I’ll strive to be more accurate.” Aqualad chose to interject at this time, placing a hand on his younger friend’s shoulder. “And more respectful.” With that, Red Tornado turned around and left the teens to their own devices.

The four teens in civvies turned to face Roy, the only one in uniform. Kid Flash was the first to speak. “Dude, nice threads.” The archer smirked in response. Aqualad walked up to his old friend and held out his hand for Roy to take. After the two shook hands, Kaldur spoke. “Thank you for coming to help us today. You and Superboy helped us win the day.”

Roy smiled softly for a second. “No problem, but it was a team effort through and through.” Robin was the last to speak, shoving in his hands in his pockets to appear nonchalant. “So you sticking around Speedy, or is this a onetime deal?”

Roy’s smirk vanished as he looked all four heroes in the eye. “You know, last night, I thought that I couldn’t get out of Green Arrow’s shadow if I joined this team. It turns out I was right.” All four teens looked crestfallen as their friend turned towards the Zeta-Tubes. “Speedy couldn’t get out of Green Arrow’s shadow: he was just his sidekick, not his partner or his equal. I don’t think I’m ready to be that yet either, but in order to get there, I have to become someone else. I have to become something else.”

Kid Flash was confused. “Then what do we call you now?”

Roy paused for a second, before peeling off his domino mask and turning back to reveal blue eyes burning with determination. “Call me Arsenal.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so Speedy becomes Arsenal! Just a few things to clarify:
> 
> 1\. The old Speedy suit was similar to the suit Roy wears in Arrow. It’s got a hood, just like his mentor’s. The new Arsenal suit is exactly the same as the one from Young Justice, and the collapsible compound bow is the one from “Targets”. Arsenal will still use a recurve bow primarily, but the compound one is for specialized missions.  
> 2\. The first few episodes will be similar to the show, but with some major differences. Roy is obviously one of them, but other characters will be different.  
> 3\. Before anyone says anything, Black Canary and Green Arrow are still together in this fic. Felicity and John are included from Arrow because I like them separate of Oliver, and they will continue to play a minor role in the story. Other Arrow and Flash characters from the show will make more appearances as well.  
> 4\. I'll try and update as often as possible, but I’m fickle with my writing. I usually want to get it just right, so there’s a lot of planning involved. Sorry!  
> 5\. Also, yes, I included the "something else" line from Arrow. Sue me.


	7. Dealing with Snakes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Team's first official deployment is at hand, and everyone is nervous. Between the mission and choosing their leader, the young heroes are forced to make difficult choices when faced with evidence of a wide-reaching conspiracy and a drug which could alter the balance of power between hero and villain.
> 
> First Steps: Part 2 of 5

**SECTION II: FIRST STEPS**

Chapter 7: Dealing with Snakes

* * *

SANTA PRISCA  
JUNE 19, 00:43 ECT  
2020

Deep within the former prison of Peña Duro, an unusual ritual was taking place. Dozens of men in red robes and black half masks resembling the fangs of a snake guarded a small group of men wearing non-descript black clothing. They were all who had survived the takeover of the prison-turned-factory, just five men out of the three dozen who had operated the factory. Four of them stood in a circle, facing the cultists with their hands placed atop their heads.

But their leader, a tall, muscular Hispanic male in a black and white Lucha Libra mask, was unfazed by the gun-toting men. Dressed in a sleeveless black muscle shirt and brown cargo pants, he nevertheless cut an intimidating figure. Power seemed to radiate from him, even his brown eyes a burning brand to his enemies. He had faced down the Dark Knight: common cultists would not scare him.

Bane watched on as one of the men who had stolen his factory from him, clearly a leader among the cultists, stepped forward with no weapons visible. The urge to charge the man and snap his neck was overwhelming, but the villain resisted his temptations. The time would come for vengeance, and when it came, it will be swift and merciless.

The man addressed his captives in fluent Spanish. “Our sublime master proclaims he will depart this facility if one of you defeats his champion in single combat.” None of Bane’s surviving men moved a muscle: they had seen the overwhelming power of the invaders. They stood no chance against their champion. Their boss saw differently: he shoved past them towards the barred door heading into the former recreation area of the prison. It was there that the duel would take place. As the door slid open and a buzzer sounded, Bane looked over his shoulder. “Just make it interesting.” The remark, spoken in accented Spanish, brought a smile to the cultist’s face.

As he strode confidently into the arena, Bane remarked on how many fights he had been in during his time in this accursed prison. ‘More than I can remember.’ And all before his exposure to Venom: he did not need it to crush this “champion”, whoever he may be. Bane’s knuckles whitened as he clenched his fists: it was time to win back his factory.

As the door slid shut behind him, Bane looked across the open area to the other door. With a buzzing noise, it opened. A scrawny Caucasian male with wild red hair stepped through the opening. Bane couldn’t believe it: they sent a _niño_ to fight him? Unacceptable. Also present was a teenaged girl, most likely the boy’s twin, who sported a tattoo similar to the cultists’ masks on the right side of her head, shorn of any hair. She smirked at Bane, whose eyes merely narrowed at the offending teenager.

Surprisingly, Bane turned to see his wrist mounted canister of Venom clatter to the ground inside the arena. Picking it up, he addressed the cultist from before, once again in Spanish. “You give me back my greatest weapon? What’s the catch?” The cultist smiled once again, the expression reminding Bane of a snake. The urge to snap his neck was back, intensified by the fact that Bane now had his Venom back. The cultist spoke again. “No catch. It would hardly test his champion’s prowess if you were not at your best.”

Bane wasted no time reattaching the canister to his wrist and looping the feeding tube around his body into the injection port at the back of his head. Grinning wildly, he pressed the injector switch, sending a flow of Venom from the canister into his body. The change was instantaneous: his pupils dilated, his veins popped out noticeably against his skin, and most importantly all of his muscles nearly doubled in size. An imposing figure before, now Bane looked like something out of a nightmare. Panting a little from the transformation, the villain now fixed his attention on his challenger. “Ready, _ni_ _ño_?”

Across the arena, the girl pulled out an injection device filled with an ampule of a purple liquid. She smirked at Bane as she pressed the needle into her brother’s shoulder, draining the liquid in one shot. The boy, eager to get started, almost immediately hunched over in pain. Falling to the ground, the boy writhed in agony as his muscles, bones, everything expanded again and again. His blue tank top was torn to shreds as his skin turned a greenish-brown color, even splitting open in some places to expose dense red muscles. Bane watched dispassionately as the boy’s head reared back to reveal a mouth full of pointed teeth. The girl shut the door in front of her as her brother finished his transformation from a man into a monster.

When said and done, the boy, once human but now something else entirely, rose to its feet and roared. Bane braced himself as the monster panted once, twice, and then exploded forward. Crossing the arena in mere seconds, the creature slammed its arm down into Bane’s block, shoving the villain back several meters. Enraged by the attack, Bane drew a fist back and delivered a powerful uppercut. The monster’s head snapped back as it released its hold on Bane’s other arm, allowing the villain to lay a devastating blow to its sternum. Or so he thought: the creature didn’t even flinch, merely glancing down at the offending fist.

In a burst of speed, the monster slammed its hand down onto the back of Bane’s neck, stunning the villain long enough for his opponent to follow through with a slug to the gut. Bane coughed up spit and blood just before his foe delivered a swift uppercut followed by a right hook which nearly sent him flying. Unfortunately for him, the monster grabbed his wrist and spun, redirecting the Venom user into a series of steam pipes across the room.

Bane staggered to his feet, only to be checked into the pipes once more. This time, one of the pipes ruptured, releasing scalding steam which only intensified the pain that Bane was currently experiencing. The monster, protected by invulnerable skin, merely grabbed Bane’s head and tossed him back into the middle of the arena. Both cultists and captives watched as the once proud villain skidded to a halt on his back, barely conscious after the beating. Out of the steam burst the creature, who cocked back its fist and roared before one last shattering blow to Bane’s right cheek. Even with Venom coursing through his veins, the villain was no match for the strength of this abomination. His head lolled back, eyes dropping shut as he rested in a small crater made by the force of the blow.

Outside the arena, the lead cultist began to chant in English. “Hail Kobra.” He was soon joined by his brothers and sisters, all chanting the same mantra over and over. Their words grew in intensity, eventually reaching a fever pitch. “HAIL KOBRA!”

Standing above them, on one of the catwalks, a man stood impassively with his arms crossed. His pale skin was smooth, unblemished by any marks or hair. His physique was flawless, toned to an almost inhuman degree, showcased by his lack of a shirt. He wore red gloves and black pants, the former held up by a golden belt with a snake symbol on the buckle. A red cloak surrounded him, topped off by a snake-like hood with two fangs and orange serpentine eyes. Kobra’s red eyes, ringed with black, watched on dispassionately as his cultists chanted to celebrate his victory.

It was time to begin.

* * *

HAPPY HARBOR  
JULY 22, 16:38 EDT  
2020

The five members of the Team stood ready in front of a bank of holograms depicting information on Santa Prisca. Robin, already too familiar with the island and one of its residents, watched his mentor through the lenses of his dark sunglasses. All of the members were dressed in civvies, with the notable exception of Superboy who simply refused to take off the S-shield T-shirt. Roy stood next to Kaldur clad in a red hoodie and jeans, much to everyone’s amusement. The last member of the Team, a certain speedster from Keystone, was munching on a bag of Chicken Whizzies, which frustrated Batman. Nevertheless, he pressed on with the briefing.

“Isla Santa Prisca. This island nation is the primary source of a dangerous and illegal neurosteroid, a strength enhancing drug sold under the street name Venom.” Wally’s face lit up in recognition. “Wait, isn’t that the same stuff Bane uses?” Batman turned around to face not Wally, but his protégé. Robin shrugged to Batman’s unanswered question, prompting a glare from the Dark Knight. Red Tornado looked on, almost confused by the nonverbal exchange. Humans could be so strange. The Caped Crusader simply turned around after that and continued the briefing.

“Yes. Bane has run a factory out of the former prison Peña Duro for years now, mass-producing the drug and selling it to his network in the United States and Europe. The League has been unable to enter Santa Prisca and take down the operation, as the leaders of Santa Prisca refuse to sign the UN Charter which grants the League its authority. However, about a month ago, all shipments of Venom have been inexplicably cut off. Infrared heat signatures taken over the past month confirm the factory is still producing at full capacity, but no drugs have been transported out of the country.” Batman looked at each of the Team members before continuing.

“That is where this Team comes in. This is a covert recon mission only. Observe and report. If the Justice League needs to intervene, we will find a way.” He looked back at the map again, which highlighted two points, one on the beach and one further inland. “The plan requires two drop zones.”

Robin, impatiently awaiting the end of the briefing, interrupted. “So who’s in charge?”

Batman and Red Tornado whipped around to look at the youngest member of the Team, then at each other. Finally, the Dark Knight spoke. “Work that out between the five of you.”

* * *

CARIBBEAN SEA  
JULY 22, 20:08 ECT  
2020

Following the briefing, the Team had quickly suited up and readied themselves for departure. Batman had readied a Javelin-7, a versatile aircraft used by the Justice League, for them. Robin and Arsenal, the two with the most experience piloting similar aircraft, took the controls and set a course for the island nation. About a hundred miles south of Cuba, and nearly 1,600 miles from Happy Harbor, the trip would take about two and a half hours at subsonic speeds.

The trip was mostly spent in silence, with Arsenal and Robin checking their loadouts a few more times before they deployed. The Team’s archer had come loaded for bear, a quiver full of trick arrows fresh from the armory and a backup in case things got loud. Robin was packing his usual gear, less reliant on his weapons than his red-clad friend.

Once they reached Santa Prisca’s airspace, Robin engaged the Javelin’s cloaking field, shielding them from sight but not from heat or motion sensors. A more powerful cloaking device, like the one mounted on the Watchtower, would be necessary for that. So, with that in mind, Aqualad stood up and made his way to the back of the cockpit. The door to the crew compartment slid open, then closed behind him as he made his way to the middle of the aircraft. Arsenal’s muted voice sounded in his ear: “Drop Zone Alpha in 30.” Aqualad nodded and pressed the symbol on his belt.

The new stealth-tech incorporated into his uniform activated, shifting his shirt from red to a dark gray and his pants into a darker blue. “This is Aqualad to Arsenal. Ready.” Back in the cockpit, Arsenal flipped a few switches, then pressed his hand to his ear. “Good luck old friend.” Aqualad smirked as a hatch on the underside of the Javelin slid open, revealing the dark ocean beneath. Diving forward, the Atlantean slipped beneath the surface of the waves with a natural elegance to his movements.

Under the water, he zoomed past antiquated mines and sliced open a hole in an anti-submarine net with his Water Bearers. Once close enough to shore, Aqualad built up enough momentum to launch himself out of the water and onto the beach. He rushed forward, not taking a second to rest, and placed a metallic disc onto the sensor posts located on the beach. Tapping his communicator, Aqualad opened a channel to the Team. “Robin, you’re up.”

Hacking at incredible speeds, the Boy Wonder let out a near-silent whoop. “Heat and motion sensors are patched. As long as we stay low, radar shouldn’t be much of a problem either.” The Atlantean nodded as he heard the Javelin pass by overhead, zooming over the jungle with the dulled roar of jet engines. Robin speaks to Aqualad one last time before they initiated radio silence. “We’ll see you at Drop Zone Bravo. Robin out.” Aqualad heard the click of the channel being disconnected and began to move. Despite his aquatic origins, the Atlantean was quite silent on land, ducking through the foliage without too much trouble.

Deep within the jungle, about a mile inland, the cloaked Javelin slowed to a hover above a sizable clearing in the jungle. Robin flicked the Javelin into autopilot as the other heroes made their way to the cargo compartment. Both Arsenal and Kid Flash activated their stealth tech. The speedster’s suit, activated by pressing the lightning emblem on his chest, changed from yellow and red to a uniform black in an instant. Arsenal didn’t have an emblem to use as an activation button, instead using the center of his belt. His uniform transformed into a darker version of itself: since it already incorporated black, the only thing that changed was the red components, shifting into merely a darker red.

Robin disregarded stealth-tech, instead using his superior training from Batman to keep to the shadows. He wasn’t the only one: Superboy, who refused to wear a uniform of any kind, simply wore his black S-shield T-shirt, dark blue fatigue pants, and dark-brown combat boots. Kid Flash turned to his Kryptonian teammate. “Hey Supey, not too late to put on the new stealth-tech.” The Kryptonian responded with a few simple words, crossing his arms over his broad chest while doing so. “No capes, no tights. No offense.”

Arsenal smirked: he liked this kid. Ever since they teamed up to help the other three Team members against Mister Twister, he had tried to get to know the Kryptonian clone. It was a difficult process, since Superboy didn’t really like to talk too much, but Roy had made progress over the last few days. Robin interrupted his musings by dangling a rappelling line in front of him. “Arsenal, let’s get moving.” The archer nodded and attached the line to his belt, yanking it to make sure it was secure.

Robin and Arsenal were the first ones to rappel down, followed by Kid Flash soon after. When Superboy didn’t come down with Kid Flash, Robin looked up only to see the Kryptonian descending to the ground at high speeds. All three heroes dodged out of the way as the clone landed, sending a small plume of dirt into the air. Superboy stood up out of the crater he had created and smirked. “Knew I didn’t need a line.”

Arsenal rolled his eyes as Robin took on the task of berating the Team’s most inexperienced member. “And yet creating a seismic event may not have helped us much with the covert.” Arsenal drew back an arrow, sweeping the tree line for any signs of hostiles as Robin sent a message to Aqualad. “Aqualad, Bravo is a go.”

Just half a mile away, the Atlantean was scaling a cliff towards the factory. “Head for the factory. I’ll track your GPS and rendezvous ASAP.” Robin pulled up a map of the island, their locations marked with small blue dots. Aqualad was indeed moving towards the factory, and Robin spotted a clearing where he would most likely catch them. “Roger that.”

With that, the four Team members at Bravo moved into the jungle. Arsenal had to hold back Kid Flash before he went running off. “Your lightning will illuminate our position. Keep the speed low until it’s necessary.” The speedster had grumbled, but ended up doing exactly as his teammate said. Arsenal had experience working with a team before, so he took point and led them all through the jungle. It took them nearly an hour to hike through the dense foliage, underneath a waterfall, and through a clearing that was laced with old landmines. Robin had to lead them through the entire field, insisting it was the fastest way to Aqualad’s position.

Once they passed through the minefield, Superboy perked up at the sound of a twig snapping and rustling somewhere in the jungle ahead of them. “Did you hear that?” Both Arsenal and Kid Flash looked back at their Kryptonian comrade, the speedster whispering. “Uh, no. Wait. Is this a super hearing thing?” Arsenal nodded and turned around only to discover Robin was gone. Kid Flash, still facing Superboy, turned to talk to his friend. “Okay, Rob, can you…” He looked around to see where Robin might be. “Man, I hate it when he does that.”

Aqualad, having monitored their conversation through the open channel, radioed in. He was running through a thinned out part of the jungle, able to reach top speeds in his journey towards the rest of the Team. “Superboy, Kid, switch to infrared. Scan the jungle and report.” Kid Flash nodded and pulled his googles down, pressing a button on the side to activate the infrared imaging function. ‘I’ll have to thank Cisco after this is over. This is _sweet_.’

The googles, equipped with a rudimentary HUD designed to track targets, zoomed in on a group of heat signatures about two hundred meters ahead of them. “Got a squad of five bozos incoming. All armed.” Arsenal switched on his night vision and drew an arrow, tracking the targets as soon as they entered visual range. Superboy, narrowing his eyes, used his super vision to scan the rest of the jungle. Much to his shock, he didn’t possess the full range of Superman’s vision-related abilities, only able to see electromagnetic frequencies close to the visual range. That meant he had UV and infrared capabilities, as well as some telescopic and microscopic imaging. That being said, he had no trouble picking out the six figures carrying what looked like assault rifles in the distance. “Six more. Two squads.” He panned out to look at the trajectory of both group. “But they’ll meet each other before they find us.”

Suddenly, gunfire erupted in the distance. Both Kid Flash and Superboy could see the heat blooms from the weapons as both group opened fire. Arsenal spoke what everyone else was thinking. “Must be two different groups fighting each other. Could explain why the factory is up and running while no Venom is being shipped out.”

Aqualad, having heard the gunfire himself, radioed in. “Swing around them. Do not engage.” Kid Flash, secretly concerned for his best friend, moved forward. “Yeah, as soon as I find Rob. They won’t notice me.” At significantly reduced speeds, the teenager from Keystone took off, suppressing his speed to keep his bio-electric field invisible. Arsenal tried to stop him, but the speedster was already too far away.

Running down the muddy slope of the hill, Kid Flash scanned the jungle for additional heat signatures. ‘Where are you, you…’ Suddenly, his right foot was caught on a rock, sending him tumbling down the hill uncontrollably. Wally could feel his uniform tear in a couple of places, and a rock left a nasty cut on his right arm. “Ow!” He eventually rolled to a halt… right in front of one of the squads. The speedster winced as he looked up to see a familiar face from Robin’s stories staring down at him, wielding an assault rifle still smoking from its recent discharge. Despite the situation, Kid Flash couldn’t help but quip. “So much for the stealthy.”

* * *

Willing himself to move at full speed, Wally dodged the initial bursts of gunfire from Bane’s crew of five. Zooming through the jungle, now lit up by tracer rounds and his lightning, the speedster flashed in front of the second group, six cultists in red robes. They too opened fire, but Kid Flash merely dodged their bullets as well. Bane continued to fire at the speedster, hoping to get lucky with one shot. Suddenly, a roar echoed from the jungle to his left, causing the villain to spin around and open fire.

The bullets pinged off Superboy’s chest as he tackled Bane, sending him and his weapon flying in different directions. Bane, annoyed by the intrusion of these metas on his turf, elbowed Superboy in the face and twisted so that he would be on top when they landed. Standing up and grasping the teen’s arm, Bane placed a boot on the S-shield and tried to dislocate his opponent’s arm. Superboy’s eyes flashed in anger as he easily yanked his arm out of the villain’s grasp. He grabbed Bane’s shirt and shoved him against a tree, the leaves shaking as Bane made contact. The villain slid to the ground, mercifully unconscious.

Just a few meters away, the Kobra cultists began to reach for their radios. They had to inform Kobra: heroes had arrived to Santa Prisca. However, when they tried to open a channel, all they heard was static. A voice echoed out from the jungle, seemingly all around them. “That won’t work. High powered signal dampener, tuned to your communications. Calling for help…” The cultists, now scared of the mysterious voice, circled up, facing outwards to defend from an attack from any possible angle.

A boy dressed in red and black dropped down in the middle of their circle, dealing surprisingly powerful blows to three of them. The remaining cultists scattered, one of them spinning around and firing off a burst towards Robin. He flipped away, shouting at his teammates. “Guys, what happened to covert? Why didn’t you follow my lead, vanish into the jungle?” A few feet away, Wally’s limbs were a blur as he knocked one of Bane’s men unconscious. “Wait, what? How were we supposed to know that?”

Meanwhile, Arsenal dealt with the rest of Bane’s group. He rolled behind a boulder to avoid a burst of gunfire from a submachine gun, arming a smoke arrow and tossing it over the rock. As it detonated, the archer vaulted over his cover and kicked one of the henchmen in the face, knocking him to the ground and out of the fight. While the other two enemies might have been blinded by the combination of the night and the smoke, Arsenal was not. He nocked a weighted arrow and fired, the blunt missile impacting a henchman in the chest. As he went down wheezing, his partner fired a blind burst into the smoke. A chuckle sounded from behind him. “Missed.” Before he could turn around, Arsenal whapped him on the back of the head with his bow. The henchman collapsed to the ground, unable to get up again.

The three remaining Kobra cultists kept running, trying to escape Robin’s radio jamming. They would have no such luck. Seemingly out of nowhere, a dark-skinned Atlantean wielding two hard-water constructs in the shape of swords sliced their guns in half. A well-placed kick to the jaw incapacitated one, the next taken down by a well-timed pommel strike to the temple. As the second cultist slumped, a third drew a knife and charged wildly. Aqualad sheathed his weapons and sidestepped the cultist, shocking him with his electrical abilities. The last cultist fell to the ground with a thump, smoking slightly from the electrical discharge.

Aqualad looked at his teammates. “What happened here?”

* * *

The Team decided to tie up both the cultists and Bane’s men, securing them with zip-ties and in Bane’s case, heavy rope that Robin happened to have. As he tied up the cultists, Robin remarked on their uniforms. “Cult of the Kobra. What are they doing on Santa Prisca?” Aqualad knelt down to look one of them, still knocked out. “And why did Batman not know of their presence on Santa Prisca?”

Robin shrugged. “Even Batman doesn’t know everything. Besides, our intelligence in Santa Prisca is spotty thanks to the local regime. I’m honestly surprised that their soldiers haven’t caught us yet.” Arsenal smirked: it wasn’t the first time that he had been to Santa Prisca. It was only a few years earlier that he and his former mentor had come here in search of Oliver Queen’s lost sister, Thea. The search had turned up nothing, but Roy remembered quite a bit about Santa Prisca’s political climate.

“The regime doesn’t have control in the southern jungles. They’ve essentially ceded it to the drug trade, especially Bane’s little Venom operation.” The archer had surprised the whole Team with his knowledge. He continued on as if no one was staring at him in shock. “The regime has decided instead to take a cut from the cartels’ profits, and keep the veneer of peace and civility in the north, where the resorts and tourists are. But here, in the jungle, the cartels are the law.”

Robin rubbed his chin. “Then I guess the next question is why Kobra came in and tossed Bane and his men out? Clearly they’re not working together, and since Venom shipments have been cut off, I’m guessing they’re not here for Bane’s revenue stream.” Kid Flash rolled his eyes and stepped forward. It was clear that he wanted to move on, not sit here and debate. One of the drawbacks of super speed: everything moved too slowly. “Obviously not. Kobra wanted super cultists.” Wally winced as Arsenal treated his rapidly healing cut with antiseptic fluid. The archer held his arm firm: “Hold still, Kid.”

Kid Flash shook his head and turned back to the topic at hand. “Let’s radio Bats and get out of here before--” Robin interrupted again, which irritated his best friend to no end. “These cultists aren’t on Venom. Kobra’s hoarding the stuff. We don’t leave. Not until I know why.” The “I” in that sentence did not go unnoticed by any of the other teammates. Kid Flash crossed his arms sullenly, while Arsenal looked at Robin with a raised eyebrow. The speedster wouldn’t be so silent. “Until _you_ know why?”

Robin spoke with the confidence of someone far beyond his years. “This team needs a leader.” Kid Flash was quick to retort, as always. “And it’s you? Dude, you’re thirteen, a kid who just left us without saying anything. You think you can be a leader?”

Robin simply laughed and jabbed his friend in the chest with his index finger. “And you’re a mature fifteen? Besides, I’m the most experienced, and I didn’t blow our cover with high speed shenanigans.”

Arsenal, now done treating the speedster’s wound, went to stand next to Superboy. The Kryptonian looked at his bow-wielding comrade with a faint smile. “You know, Arsenal, you did pretty well leading us through the jungle. You could take command.”

The red-headed archer smiled softly at his friend, but shook his head. “No, I’ve got too many issues for me to take charge. Besides, I’m better as a soldier, not a commander.” Arsenal paused and jabbed a thumb at the S-shield on Superboy’s chest. “You know, Superman is one of the leaders of the League. Maybe leadership is genetic.”

The Kryptonian’s face soured visibly. “No, I can’t. Not after what happened with Mister Twister. Besides, Robin’s right: the leader needs experience, and I haven’t got any.”

Arsenal put a hand on Superboy’s shoulder. “Sure, you may have messed up at first, but we stopped Mister Twister thanks to you. Plus, do you think any of us did as well on our first two missions? Do you think Superman did? No. Every hero goes through a training phase, even the best of them. What matters is how you adapt to each loss, each lesson. That’s what makes a hero great. Trust me, you’ll get there.”

Superboy smiled and began to mutter thanks. He stopped when he heard two of the men in Bane’s general direction whispering. Thanks to his genomorph education, he could understand them as they spoke to each other in Spanish. One of them, a darker skinned man, spoke to his imprisoned leader. “Look at them argue! Free yourself and take them while they’re distracted!”

Bane was quick to silence his man. “Quiet! For now, we play along. They’ll give me what I need.” Clearly, he was trying to play the young heroes. What he didn’t expect was the one with super hearing to catch onto his little plot. Superboy smiled a little as Bane leaned his head back against the tree. This would be interesting. Superboy also noticed the slight shaking of Bane’s hands: something was wrong with him.

Meanwhile, the argument between Kid Flash and Robin had escalated. “Yeah? Well, you don’t even have super powers!” Robin’s retort was swift and flawless. “Neither does Batman!”

Kid Flash rolled his eyes. “No matter what you think, you’re not Batman.” At the mention of Batman, Bane’s eyes flashed open. He was curious: could it be that one of the _ni_ _ños_ that had attacked his crew was Robin? The thought of hurting Batman through his little sidekick positively delighted the sadistic villain.

Robin thumbed himself in the chest. “Closest thing we’ve got.” At that point, Bane made his move. Chuckling loudly, he drew everyone’s attention to him. Robin’s eyes narrowed as the man who nearly cost his mentor everything seemed to wake up. “Such clever _ni_ _ños_. But you only know half the story.”

The Team moved into a half-circle in front of Bane. Robin took the center, crossing his eyes and giving his best Bat Glare towards the villain. The drug lord wasn’t even fazed: he had stood against the Dark Knight. This child did not scare him, even when he was without his precious Venom. The Boy Wonder spoke up, his tone carefully controlled. “Yeah, and what’s the other half, Bane?”

The villain smiled, exposing unnaturally white teeth to the teenagers. Superboy wanted to punch that smile right off his face. Robin wanted to do the same. “Let me get you into the factory via my secret entrance.”

The Team looked to Robin for guidance: he had the most experience with Bane. The Boy Wonder walked up and knelt in front of Bane, staring into his brown eyes. Much to his surprise, his pupils were dilated slightly, and the irises were reddened. ‘Is he on Venom?’

“I don’t know if there’s a secret entrance. Batman never came to Santa Prisca. But I can tell he’s hiding something.” Bane chuckled at the boy’s perceptiveness: he truly was on the path to becoming a great detective like his mentor.

“It’s not complicated, _ni_ _ño_. The enemy of my enemy is my friend. Until these _cultistas_ leave my island, you can count on me.” Robin looked back to his teammates for guidance. Aqualad nodded, signaling their intent. They would trust Bane… for now.

* * *

The Team, and their new ally, approached a cliff overlooking the factory. Kid Flash whistled at the size of the concrete structure hidden within the jungle. Bane smiled wolfishly at the speedster. “Yes, impressive isn’t it? Peña Duro: my home.” Superboy recognized the design from his history lessons. That, combined with its name, gave him a clue as to its original intent. “Wait, that’s a prison.”

Bane’s face soured. He glared at the Kryptonian who had bested him, only to receive an equally steely gaze in return. “Yes, _ni_ _ño_ , Peña Duro was a prison. But I have transformed it into something glorious.”

Arsenal chuckled darkly. “Yeah, because a drug factory is so much better than a prison.”

Robin pulled out a pair of binoculars and took a look at the activity at the front of the former prison. Kobra had transformed the yard from a minefield into a makeshift helipad, seemingly confident in their ability to hold the factory with manpower alone. The cultists were busy moving crates to the helipad with forklifts, accompanied by guards with heavy weaponry. “Look at all that product. A buy is going down. But if Kobra isn’t selling to the usual suspects, then--”

Aqualad, standing over Robin, interjected calmly. “We need to identify that buyer.” Kid Flash pulled up his googles and smirked. “Just what I was thinking.”

Robin laughed again and stood up, putting his binoculars back in his utility belt. “Yeah, you’re the thinker.” Normally, he wouldn’t be so mean to his friend, but they had a job to complete. Besides, that Batman comment from before kind of hurt.

Kid Flash, for his part, merely shook his head. “Dude, sarcasm? Really? A real leader would focus on getting answers.” Robin opened his mouth to retort, only to be cut off by the sound of a large rock thumping down. Bane brushed off his hands and stepped back to reveal a tunnel leading down into the earth. “Answers are this way.”

Without another word, Bane walked into the dimly lit tunnel. Kid Flash grumbled: “So, El Luchador is our leader.” That prompted a punch to the arm from Robin, who pushed forward to walk behind Bane. The rest of the Team followed, Arsenal walking backwards with his bow nocked. He didn’t trust Bane at all: he half expected some booby trap to activate as soon as they all entered. But nothing happened, even for the entirety of their silent walk. Robin kept both eyes on Bane, making sure he made no sudden moves. ‘Even if he has Venom, we’ve got a Kryptonian.’

Eventually, after twenty minutes of walking, they reached the end of the tunnel, which sloped sharply upwards towards a door. Unlike the other end of the tunnel, it was sealed with hydraulic locks, making it impossible for normal humans to muscle it open. Kid Flash whistled as Bane opened it with the touch of a button, much to Robin’s annoyance. “Keep it down!"

The door slid open with a groan of concrete: it was part of a fake wall. As the Team and Bane exited, Robin took a look around the cell they had exited into. It, like most prison cells, was very spartan in its decoration, a simple metal framed bed and a rudimentary toilet taking up most of the space. However, some of the walls were cracked, with what almost looked like a palm print in the center of the formations. As he was exiting into the corridor, something caught the Boy Wonder’s eye: a well-worn teddy bear. Bane’s deep voice rumbled as Robin put the pieces together. “Keep moving.”

“This was…” Bane interrupted Robin again, his voice uncharacteristically soft. “My home.” His eyes lingered on the teddy bear for a few more moments before they moved on. “Come, we must keep going. The main factory is towards the front of the prison.” And so they went, moving towards the factory floor. Robin pulled up thermal imaging of the factory, locating the largest heat bloom: it was where the previous tenants had built their little arena for their blood sports. ‘Of course. Large, open space, right next to the front of the building. It’s perfect!’

The team moved into position behind large cylinders used to distill Venom, using the shadows to conceal their presence. At some point, Robin disappeared, much to Bane’s consternation. “Has that little fool already been caught yet?” Kid Flash sighed and fixed his googles over his eyes. “Stay put. I’ll go get our intel and be back before our little Boy Wonder.” Before Aqualad could interject, Wally was off as a black blur, his lightning once again suppressed.

Bane was not pleased. “Great chain of command.” The three remaining Team members looked at each other, finding themselves agreeing with the villain.

* * *

Up in the control room Bane had installed in the factory, a Kobra cultist worked diligently to make sure their production was continuing smoothly. Suddenly, a black Batarang lodged itself next to the computer, releasing green gas into the room. As the gas dissipated, the cultist slumped over his keyboard, unconscious. Robin shoved him off the keyboard and plugged himself into the rudimentary network. The tech was relatively new, but the programming was crude. ‘Figures a cult like Kobra wouldn’t have good tech support.’

As he hacked his way into the network, a certain speedster slid to a stop next to him. “Whatcha got?” Robin rolled his eyes and continued his hacking. Kid Flash took a big bite of the energy bar in his hand, looking over the chemical formulas being displayed on screen. “Wait a minute, I recognize that from the mission briefing! That’s Venom!” He glanced over at another screen, where another molecule was displayed. “And this one… is Blockbuster!”

Robin whirled around. “Like from Cadmus? What is it doing here?”

Kid Flash shrugged, only for his jaw to drop once Robin penetrated further into the network. The main screen now displayed the two molecules being combined, a fully new formula being created as a result. “It’s like Venom, but with some of the enhancements from Blockbuster. Three times stronger than the original Venom formula, and from this data, it’s permanent. How did Kobra get access to Project Blockbuster? The League shut down that project when they searched the DC branch of Cadmus.”

Robin loaded all the relevant data onto a data drive. “My guess, Kobra got it from the same people who are coming to buy this new… Kobra Venom. Makes sense: Kobra doesn’t have the scientific know-how to conduct advanced biochemical engineering. The cult is just the muscle, making the stuff for whoever their contact is.”

He put a finger to his ear as the drive finished collecting the data from Kobra’s network. “Robin to Aqualad, we got…” A hiss of static washed over the comms. “Static.” He yanked out the drive and waved Kid Flash on. “Come on, we got to warn the others!”

* * *

Down on the factory floor, the three heroes and their villainous ally crouched behind a stack of crates. “That is a massive shipment.” Aqualad whispered to his teammates as he looked out over the shipping dock. An entire wall of the prison had been converted to allow the easy shipment of Venom, with forklifts used to move the newer Venom out to the makeshift helipad.

Superboy made an astute observation as the others continued to watch the Kobra cultists move their product. “It’s only new Venom they’re moving. They’re not touching the old stuff.” Arsenal responded as he turned around to select an explosive arrow from his quiver. “Maybe freshness counts.” One word, and he would blow this whole shipment to bits. Bane watched the archer with a keen eye, wary of what Arsenal might do next.

Bane spoke up, shaking his head once Arsenal seemed to settle down a little. “No, Venom does not go bad. It’s something else.” His hands began to shake, his mouth began to salivate, as he thought of all the Venom nearby. ‘Not now. That time will come.’

Superboy perked up. “Helicopter on its way.” A few seconds later, the rest of the Team heard the dull beats of a helicopter’s rotors. Superboy grinned as Arsenal shot him a thumbs up. It was good to be finally contributing. Aqualad tried to open a channel to Robin and Kid Flash. “Robin, Kid, where are you?” All he got was static. “Kobra must be jamming our comms.”

The helicopter slowed to a halt above the helipad, then descended to rest comfortably on the recently built structure. As the helicopter’s hatch opened, Arsenal took a good look at the figure stepping out of the craft. He whistled and handed his binoculars to Aqualad: “Look who it is.”

Aqualad held back a gasp as he saw a very familiar figure standing before several cultists. He recognized him from the League’s Most Wanted lists. “Sportsmaster.” He turned to Superboy. “Listen in on their conversation.”

Superboy nodded and attuned his super hearing to the meeting. Sportsmaster was the first to speak. “Lord Kobra.” An unarmed man facing away from Superboy, presumably this Lord Kobra, replied curtly. “Sportsmaster. The shipment is ready.”

On that, a teenage girl with red hair and a strange Kobra tattoo on the right side of her head stepped forward. She opened a case in her hands, revealing eight ampules of a strange purplish-blue liquid. Sportsmaster took one out of the case and held it up to inspect it, his eyes narrowing. “The new Kobra Venom?”

Kobra gestured with a pale hand to the hulking figure standing next to him. Superboy’s eyes narrowed as he was reminded of Blockbuster. This creature looked to be almost as strong. Kobra spoke with admiration in his tone. “A complete success. Our friends will not be disappointed.”

Sportsmaster held the ampule as if it were a precious jewel, his eyes lightening up with excitement. “This is a game-changer. Finally, we can go mano-a-mano with the Justice League.” Superboy snorted. ‘Good luck with that. Superman is a little more powerful than you think.’ Still, Sportsmaster’s tone indicated that this new Kobra Venom was not to be trifled with.

Superboy turned to his friends. “They’re making some kind of new Venom, one that seems to be a lot stronger than the old formula. They’re… trying to make fighters that can go toe-to-toe with Leaguers.” Aqualad’s and Arsenal’s eyes widened as they considered the possibility. Aqualad spoke in a grave tone. “We need a plan now.”

Bane smiled maniacally. “I have a suggestion.” He leapt out from behind cover and knocked two cultists to the ground. One nearly shot him in the back before Superboy jumped in to save him with his invulnerable body. The gunfire, however, still drew the attention of those outside, including the hulking brute from before. Kobra looked at his super-strong follower, a slight smile present on his face. “Mammoth, destroy them.”

The monster roared and leapt towards the sound of fighting, followed closely by a squad of armed Kobra cultists and their leader. The strongest member of the Team turned to face the new combatant, his lips tugging upwards in a small grin. This would be interesting.

The two slammed into each other like two freight trains colliding, Superboy attempting to wrap his arms around Mammoth’s midsection. The beast roared and simply wrapped Superboy in its own hold, breaking the Kryptonian’s iron grip. Superboy was right: the creature was as strong as Blockbuster. It was stronger than him. This would require brains, not brawn.

The cultists opened fire on Aqualad, who quickly formed a shield construct with his Water Bearers. The gunfire pinged off the glowing hard water like it was steel. The Atlantean brought up his other Water Bearer and fired off hard water bullets which acted like riot rounds. One by one, he knocked cultists to the ground with the heavy non-lethal rounds.

In the confusion, no one saw Bane slip away.

Superboy flew into a concrete support pillar, cracking the beam. ‘Just like Cadmus.’ The Kryptonian dodged another blow from the creature and slammed his fist into Mammoth at full strength. The monster, while not seriously injured, nevertheless was sent careening into the ground. Superboy pursued with a roar, his ingrained instinct to kill taking hold. ‘At least I won’t be able to kill this thing. Probably.’

Sportsmaster watched with a dispassionate air as the three heroes took on Kobra’s forces. Arsenal picked off reinforcements swarming to attack Aqualad, using arrows that shot out cables to restrain the attackers rather than injure them. Sportsmaster grinned beneath his mask: the kid would do.

Quickly drawing a metal rod from his pants pocket, he pressed a button and revealed that it was actually a collapsible javelin. Taking aim, he threw with near-perfect precision… directly at Arsenal. Luckily for the archer, he spun around just in time to dodge the javelin, only to be knocked down by a pressure wave at his back. ‘Great, the guy is tossing around exploding javelins. He should be part of Ollie’s little villains club.’

Arsenal rolled to his feet as Sportsmaster casually started to walk towards him, a saber drawn at his side. Glancing from side to side, he saw no backup available. To his left, Aqualad was pinned down by gunfire, as was a newly arrived Kid Flash. Two cultists lay groaning at his feet, but the speedster was unable to navigate through the torrent of bullets to safety. To Arsenal’s right, Superboy was being slowly beaten back by Mammoth, the Kryptonian’s ire rising every second. ‘Guess I’m on my own. Hope those sword lessons with Ollie come in handy.’

Arsenal shouldered his bow and drew both eskrima sticks from the holsters on his legs. Sportsmaster chuckled. “So Green Arrow’s little sidekick thinks he can challenge me?” Arsenal’s eyes narrowed. “I’m no sidekick.”

Sportsmaster saluted the archer with his saber. “Guess we’ll find out if you’re the real deal, _Speedy_.” With that, Arsenal charged the villain, his sticks held high for an attack.

* * *

Outside, Robin landed softly besides the helicopter. He thought he was alone, until a mysterious voice echoed from behind him. “Batman must be desperate if he sends his whelp to task me.” Robin swung around, Batarang in hand, to face Kobra and his red-headed helper. The girl stood at her master’s side, completely still but taut as a bowstring.

Robin, as always, decided to try and piss off the supervillain. “What’s wrong, Koby? You look disconcerted.” Despite his best efforts, Robin’s words did not even faze Kobra. “This is beneath me. Shimmer, take him.” The girl charged Robin, who grinned and merely flipped over her. Shimmer whirled around again and growled, only eliciting a larger grin from the Boy Wonder. At that moment, Kid Flash zoomed up to the battlefield. “Robin, we’ve got to go! Now!”

The Boy Wonder, his face set in a grimace, nevertheless complied. As Shimmer charged him again, he threw down a flash pellet. A brilliant burst of light distracted Shimmer and Kobra long enough for Robin to make his getaway. As the light dimmed back to normal, the Boy Wonder was nowhere to be found, and neither was Kid Flash.

* * *

Back inside the factory, Aqualad knocked three cultists back with a water whip. He signaled to Kid, who ran over to him. “Strategic retreat. Clear a path for us.” The speedster nodded and took off at full speed, shoving the cultists to the ground on the way back to the tunnel. Aqualad and Robin followed closely behind, leaving only Arsenal and Superboy on the factory floor.

Arsenal snarled and twisted away from one of Sportsmaster’s slashes. Aqualad waved his friend forward, who only briefly nodded before turning back to his fight. His right eskrima stick batted away an exploratory strike by Sportsmaster, who was simply testing the hero at this point. ‘If he was actually trying, I could be in serious trouble.’

Taking advantage of his opponent’s relatively lax attitude, Arsenal spun away and pulled out a flashbang arrow. Priming it, he threw it into the ground as hard as he could and ran away. Sportsmaster, grinning beneath the mask, spun behind a stack of crates as the arrow detonated, blinding and deafening encroaching Kobra cultists.

Arsenal ran into the tunnel entrance, only to feel a tremor in the ground beneath him. Turning around, he saw Superboy struggling to hold back Mammoth. “Come on Superboy, let’s move!” The Kryptonian snarled and managed to shift his weight, using Mammoth’s momentum to spin him around and into a group of cultists pursuing the heroes. “On my way Arsenal.”

Superboy slammed the thick metal door shut behind him, but had no illusions of the door’s strength compared to the brute he just faced. Both he and Arsenal ran down the tunnel, Superboy staying behind his friend to defend the relatively weak human from any attacks. Behind him, he heard the door crunch inwards, then bang against the wall. ‘Mammoth.’ Suddenly, gunfire erupted around him, but mostly slammed into the walls of the tunnel. ‘These cultists are terrible shots.’

Aqualad spun around and pointed to the support beams. “Superboy, the support beams!” The Kryptonian obliged his teammate’s request, punching through two, three, then four of the wooden support beams. Sure enough, a good portion of the tunnel began to collapse, prompting Arsenal to sprint out of the way and Superboy to leap after him. As the rocks came tumbling down, the Team slowed down just outside of the danger zone.

They had done it: they had survived their first official mission. So why did it feel like it just wasn’t complete?

* * *

The Team had paused to take a breather, Aqualad snapping two red glow sticks on to provide illumination. Robin reached out hesitantly and touched one of the rocks blocking the path of the tunnel. “How could my first mission as leader go so badly?” The four other heroes glanced at each other. Aqualad decided to take the lead on this one.

“You do have the most experience. But perhaps that is exactly what has left you unprepared. Fighting alongside Batman, your roles are defined. You two do not need to talk. But this team is new. And a leader must be clear, explicit. He cannot vanish and expect others to play parts in an unknown plan.”

Robin spun around and retorted with an angry wave of his hand. “Oh, so I’m supposed to hold everyone’s hands.” Arsenal stepped forward, having had enough of Robin’s attitude. “Look, Robin, I understand what you’re going through more than most.” The other three watched silently as the archer conversed with the only other normal human member of the Team.

“Green Arrow and I used to be a team. We understood what each other’s roles were. Hell, even when Spartan and Canary joined up, we all worked as one. But it wasn’t easy at first. This takes time, creating a team like this. Surely you remember when you first began crime fighting, how Batman would have to take it easy on you and explain things?” Robin nodded, unsure of where Arsenal was going with this. “That’s what this team needs. Someone who is willing to explain, to listen, and above all to understand.”

The archer turned around and smiled at his Atlantean friend. “And that’s why it should be you, Kaldur. You should lead us.” Aqualad was stunned by Roy’s proposition. “No, my friend, I cannot. I’m not--”

“What, qualified? Experienced? You’ve got military training and two years as Aquaman’s protégé under your belt. Besides, you’re one of the most trusting, caring individuals I know. You’ve put up with me for years now. Why should this team be any different?”

Aqualad looked out over the other four heroes, all of them seemingly agreeing with Roy’s assessment. Superboy merely nodded at Kaldur. “Could’ve told you.” Kid Flash attempted to come up with an objection, but could find none. At last, he came to terms with being led, not leading. He smiled warmly at his Atlantean friend. “You’ve got this, Kaldur.”

Finally, Aqualad looked to Robin, the most experienced yet youngest of the group. The teen looked conflicted, groaning and putting his heads on his head. “Oh, who am I kidding? It should be you, Kaldur. You’re the only one who can.”

With Robin’s agreement, Kaldur stepped forward to look down at Robin. “Then I accept this burden until you are ready to lift it from my shoulders.” He put his hand down on Robin’s shoulder, a firm yet comforting grip. “You were born to lead this team maybe not now, but soon.” Robin nodded, a typical grin on his lips.

Aqualad turned around, his back ramrod straight and his gaze intent. It was time for him to lead. “Alright, we must prevent that shipment from leaving this island. The risks are too great to the outside world. Kobra Venom must not be allowed to spread.”

Robin only grinned wider at that. “I think I bought us some time. I sabotaged the helicopter.” Aqualad nodded solemnly, his hand cupping his chin as he thought out their next moves. “It will only be a matter of time before they repair it. We must move quickly.”

With that, the Team took off down the tunnel. Robin pulled up the data from Kobra’s network on his holographic computer, trying to hack into the more encrypted files. “This doesn’t add up. How did Sportsmaster get Blockbuster or make Kobra his muscle? He might be scary, but he’s not that scary.”

Kid Flash agreed. “And how did they combine Blockbuster with Venom? That took some serious bio-chemical and genetic know-how. Like, Doctor Wells or Ray Palmer level of smarts.” Aqualad nodded. “We will find out the answers soon enough. For now, we should--”

He was cut off by a massive fist slamming into his side as soon as he exited the tunnel. The Atlantean flew sideways, just barely managing to catch himself on the cliffside. Without thinking, Superboy rushed to his friend’s aid, leaving the other three to face a Venom-enhanced Bane. “Oh crud.”

Kid Flash zoomed out of the way of a giant fist, skidding to a halt meters away. Robin smiled as Bane focused in on him next. “You know, Bane, this wasn’t one of your smartest moves. You could have at least blown the tunnel with us inside. Clearly the Venom is starting to get to your brain. Those withdrawal symptoms are pretty nasty, aren’t they?”

Enraged, Bane surged forward to crush Robin’s skull with his bare hands, only to meet air. Arsenal fired a trick arrow which stuck to the villain’s black shirt. Bane looked at him and chuckled. “You think a little arrow can stop me?”

Arsenal smiled back. “As a matter of fact, yes.” The arrow’s payload activated: high density polyurethane foam. The expanding substance engulfed the unsuspecting Bane, then hardened to completely limit his movement. Luckily for him, his head remained free, allowing him to breathe normally.

Bane raged against his restraints, clearly not thinking straight. Robin shook his head as the Team regrouped. “He went too long without Venom. He’s going to be out of it for a while.”

Aqualad, wincing from his injury but still ready for battle, pointed to Bane. “Superboy, neutralize him. We don’t want to be hit from behind during our next incursion into enemy territory.”

The Kryptonian simply nodded and stepped forward, cocking his fist back. His blow, not even close to full strength, still knocked Bane unconscious and cracked the foam just a bit. Superboy turned around to an incredulous Arsenal. “What? That was like, one third strength.”

* * *

A few minutes later, the cargo chopper’s dual rotors began to whirl. A Kobra cultist bowed as Kobra and Sportsmaster approached, flanked by Shimmer and Mammoth. Kobra turned to speak to his contact, only to be cut off by a volley of gunfire aimed at a black blur sheathed in yellow lightning. The blur knocked down two cultists, but largely drew their fire instead of engaging.

Kobra yelled to Sportsmaster over the din of war. “Take the shipment!” As the former assassin started towards the helicopter, a certain Kryptonian clone landed in front of him and cracked his knuckles. Mammoth, remembering the super-strong hero from before, started forward. “Ready for round two, ugly?” Superboy’s taunt only made the creature charge more quickly. However, a torrent of water knocked him away just as he reached the Kryptonian. “Sorry. Maybe next time. Got a plan to carry out.”

Superboy looked over to see Aqualad using the contents of a nearby water tower to keep up the high-pressure stream. Aqualad nodded to his Kryptonian teammate, who moved towards the helicopter only to be hit in the back by an explosive force. ‘That feels… familiar.’ He could feel his strength leaving him. ‘No…’

Conner whirled around only to be shot again. Sportsmaster, wielding an Archer rifle, kept up the pressure on the weakening Kryptonian. Each shot, laced with red sun radiation, drained his powers bit by bit. Even though he felt agony with each shot, Superboy was buoyed by two things: his advanced healing abilities, although weakening with each round, and the fact that behind Sportsmaster, Arsenal was successfully carrying out the plan.

Unfortunately, the archer was spotted by Sportsmaster as he left the helicopter’s cargo bay. A slug to the temple sent him reeling, but the villain pulled him in to use as a human shield. His chokehold unbreakable, Sportsmaster turned his attention back to a much more wary Superboy. He opened fire yet again, the red particle bolts scorching the Kryptonian’s skin. ‘Just… a few… more minutes.’

At the main battlefield, Kid Flash knocked out the last Kobra cultist and stole his mask. “Souvenir!” He zoomed away, leaving only Shimmer and Kobra left as the speedster swept the factory for any more Kobra personnel. A bola, coming out of nowhere, neutralized Shimmer, the teenaged girl tumbling to the ground with a loud groan. Kobra turned slowly to face Robin, both of their capes billowing in the slight breeze. “I know you hate getting your hands dirty, Koby.”

Kobra calmly pulled back his hood and undid his cape’s clasp. “True, but sometimes, even a god must stoop to conquer.” Robin snickered, unnerving the so-called god standing before him. “Really? You think a god could use some Rogaine once in a while?” The last comment made Kobra angry for the first time all night. He charged at Robin recklessly, who dodged and launched his foot at Kobra’s face. The cult leader, having regained his senses, grabbed the teen’s foot and threw him down to the ground. Robin leapt up almost immediately, throwing a punch this time.

“You cannot win.” Kobra leaned to the side, swatting the punch aside as if it were nothing. A vicious kick connected with Robin’s ribs, sending the Boy Wonder tumbling backwards. Robin groaned as he felt the bruise forming above his ribs. “What’s wrong, boy? You look disconcerted.”

Meanwhile, as Robin battled Kobra and Superboy struggled to free Arsenal, Aqualad kept up the pressure on Mammoth. Unable to get out of the high-pressure stream, the beast was blinded and deafened by the surging water. Step by step, the Atlantean pushed him almost all the way into the forest before sheathing one of his Water Bearers. His arm crackled with electricity as he touched the water, transferring the current to the stream pushing towards Mammoth. The monster howled as the electricity surged through his body, slumping mercifully into unconsciousness after five seconds of excruciating pain.

Superboy weathered yet another particle bolt, his power now dipping below its halfway mark. Blood slowly dripped from his nose as he stood shakily before Sportsmaster, who still held a struggling Arsenal in an iron grip. The villain finally reached the cargo ramp, at which point he shoved the archer at the bloodied Kryptonian. “Thanks, kid, but I’ve got to fly.”

Superboy, still woozy from the barrage, couldn’t pursue, and Arsenal was busy nursing his bruised throat. The helicopter took off, knocking up a cloud of dust which enveloped the battlefield. Superboy, lowering his hands from his eyes, watched as the chopper soared out of his reach. Arsenal tapped him on the shoulder and brandished a detonator. “Want to do the honors?”

The Kryptonian smirked. “No, this was your plan. You get to pull the trigger.” Sighing loudly, Roy looked up at the helicopter with a grin and pressed the detonation button. A large explosion tore the chopper in half, engulfing the rear end in flames and sending the front half careening towards the jungle canopy. Superboy could see a parachute open up, evidence of Sportsmaster’s survival. Meanwhile, secondary charges, also rigged from the landmines previously planted around the factory, detonated inside the complex, planted by Kid Flash.

The explosion, combined with the flaming rear half of the chopper crushing the main factory room, caused half of the prison to go up in flames and eventually collapse. All of this was witnessed by a helpless Bane, who had awoken from his little nap only to see his beloved factory go up in flames. “Those _ni_ _ños_ will pay…”

The last fight to be concluded was between the Boy Wonder and the Lord Naga-Naga. Kobra knocked Robin to the ground and planted a foot on his chest, holding him down as he watched the factory go up in flames. Such destruction was pleasing to Kobra, even though it did set back his plans a little. He looked down at the squirming Boy Wonder, placing just a little more pressure on the teen’s chest. The supposed god grinned as Robin began to wheeze from his bruised ribs. “I am plagued by mosquitos.” Despite his breath leaving his body, Robin managed to make one last wisecrack. “Good… cause this mosquito… is sure concerted over your pain.”

Kobra smiled, only to be pierced in the shoulder by an arrow. Roaring in pain, he yanked the now bloody arrow out and looked at his new attacker. Arsenal already had another arrow nocked and aimed for the cult leader’s head. For kicks, he activated his voice modulator. “The next one goes into your eye. Step away from him.”

To his credit, Kobra merely threw down the arrow and stepped back, allowing a barely conscious Robin to suck in oxygen once more. Not even bothering to put pressure on the wound, Kobra walked backwards towards the tree line, tracked by Arsenal and his arrow, waiting for a reason to put him down. “This is not the last time you will see me, _heroes_.”

With that, the leader of the Cult of the Kobra vanished into the shadows. Arsenal waited a few more seconds before releasing the tension in his bow and sheathing the arrow. Aqualad ran up to his side as Kid Flash zoomed over to help Robin up. The Boy Wonder winced at the speedster’s touching of his sides, but nevertheless accepted his help. Once on his feet, Batman’s protégé made his way over to the newly elected leader of the Team.

“We sure know how to pick ‘em.” Aqualad smiled softly before Robin decided to ruin the moment. “Have fun explaining all of this to Batman.” He finished his comment with a broad sweeping motion, highlighting the still burning prison-turned-factory. Aqualad’s smile vanished as Robin began to cackle, only to hunch over in pain.

* * *

MOUNT JUSTICE  
JULY 23, 10:01 EDT  
2020

The next morning, in the main briefing room of the Cave, Batman stood before the assembled Team, all in their civvies. Aqualad, to his credit, looked directly at Batman as he spoke, only joined by Robin. The other three heroes, no matter how tough they thought they were, couldn’t stand up to the Bat Glare.

“A _simple recon mission_ , observe and report.” The Dark Knight strode up to Aqualad, looking him directly in the eye. Even the thick-skinned Atlantean eventually withered under the veteran hero’s gaze, prompting a snicker from Robin. He was quickly silenced by the Glare. Batman turned and walked in front of the heroes, his arms folded behind his back.

“You will each receive a written evaluation detailing your many mistakes.” He reached the end of the line and turned around to face all five of them. “Until then…” Batman’s face softened a little from the scowl he had before. “Good job.”

All five Team members noticeably perked up and looked at Batman. “No battle plan survives first contact with the enemy. How you adjust to the unforeseen is what determines success.”

As the Caped Crusader began to walk away, his last words echoed back to the Team. “And how you choose who leads determines character.” That last sentence brought a smile to everyone’s faces, especially Robin’s.

* * *

MONGOLIA  
JULY 23, 23:47 ICT  
2020

It was late at night when Sportsmaster finally reached his destination deep within the mountains of western Mongolia. The plane that had picked him up from Santa Prisca landed in a secret hangar hidden under tons of rock and snow. His benefactors liked to keep their secrets, that’s for sure. The whole place was hidden by a cloaking field powered by some kind of X-element. Sportsmaster didn’t care: all he wanted to know was what his next mission would be.

The enforcer stood in front of the nine screens in what he had humorously dubbed “the conference room.” While he was grinning beneath his mask, his tone was completely serious. “All I recovered is a single ampule of Kobra Venom.” He held up the purple-bluish serum to show to the assembled group, only to be met with silence.

Finally, one of the Light finally spoke: L-6, his voice laced with a heavy French accent. “ _Peut-etre_ , the drug can be reverse engineered. _Mais_ what of our young heroes?”

Pictures of the Cadmus incident, then the Team’s battle with Mister Twister, flashed up on both of the blank screens. “First Cadmus, then Mister Twister. Now, Santa Prisca.”

L-1, his gravelly tone brooking no discernable emotion, spoke up. “Once is happenstance, twice is coincidence. But three times is enemy action, and enemies of the Light must not stand.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So that’s the adaptation of Drop-Zone. I swear I will be getting to some original plotlines soon enough. Pretty much right after the next episode, everything will be mostly original with adapted character backstories.
> 
> So next chapter is going to introduce two blonde heroines to the Team! Finally, the Team will get some much needed gender diversity. Actually, the way I have this story planned out, a lot of female characters will be introduced before the next male Team member joins up. So, look forward to that!
> 
> I really don’t want anyone to think that this is a novelization of Young Justice with a few changes. It’s an adaptation of a lot of comic material, storylines from the show and from Flash and Arrow, and also some of my original thoughts. Take Superboy’s improved relationship with Superman: that didn’t happen in the show right away, am I right?
> 
> Anyways, until my next update, farewell! Look forward to it soon enough!


	8. New Arrivals

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The five young men of the Team have an established way of doing things, one which will soon be thrown out the window. Two new members of the Team, each with their own special skills, join as an old threat once again rears its head.
> 
> First Steps: Part 3 of 5

**SECTION II: FIRST STEPS**

Chapter 8: New Arrivals

* * *

INFINITY ISLAND  
AUGUST 7, 23:49 ECT  
2020

Somewhere hidden in the midst of the mysterious Bermuda Triangle, an island, unknown to most, held a dark and deadly secret. Jutting high into the night sky was an ancient fortress: some claimed that Blackbeard used it in his golden years, others say Confederate Navy vessels sortied out from the protection of the guns there to run the Union blockade. But few who even knew of its existence understood its true purpose: a stronghold for the shadowy League of Assassins. It was one of their many safehouses in the Americas, protected by theatricality, deception, and about two dozen highly trained assassins.

Indeed, the island seemed to be teeming with traps and defenses of all kinds, ranging from simple trip wires to advanced electronic monitoring devices. This paradox of sorts would confuse anyone who did not know of the League, but the two heroes about to assault this fortress knew them almost too well. One of them, clad in a black cape and tight fitting dark body armor, especially so.

Batman stood up from his position at the base of the hill, scanning the perimeter for any faults in the defenses. There were none: Ra’s and his minions had upped their game since his last assault on the island. Above him, a branch creaked, causing his scowl to become even more pronounced. “It’s amazing you survived for five years on that island.” A cocky smirk was flashed his way, courtesy of a green hooded archer perched in the tree above him. His recurve bow was at the ready, an arrow with an electrical payload loosely nocked.

“You find us a way in yet, Bats?” Batman frowned at Green Arrow one last time before turning back to analyze their opponents. Five on perimeter, one on overwatch. All in all, six bow-wielding assassins against two of the greatest fighters in the world. Not a problem for the two heroes, or so it seemed. Batman knew that the real danger was if one of those assassins sounded the alarm. Then their objective would become moot: there was no way to get there before the League of Assassins tied up loose ends.

Batman nodded. “I think so. You’ll need to put their cameras on a loop with that special arrow of yours.” Green Arrow nodded and lined up a shot at the nearest camera. Since they were networked, the archer used a specialized arrow designed by his team’s resident hacker which served as a viral worm, burrowing into the enemy’s subsystems like cameras, sensors, and much more. The arrow sailed near silently through the night, the loud crash of waves on the beach below helping mask the sound. Once the job was done, Green Arrow nodded. He was completely serious now: it was time to act.

Both heroes rushed for the wall and fired their grappling lines. Batman’s was a bit faster, allowing the Gotham-based vigilante to deal a devastating series of blows to an unwitting assassin before she could even speak. Another second later, her partner went down, an electrical arrow shocking them unconscious. The two non-powered heroes wasted no time in lining up their next shots. An arrow and two Batarangs flew into the tower above them, releasing knockout gas to take out the archer on overwatch. Five seconds had passed.

“All right, there’s two minutes until the next rotation. Let’s move and secure the objective.” Green Arrow, now a little less serious, nodded and moved forward with his bow drawn. Within the depths of the fortress, he would be deprived of preparation time: better to shoot first and ask questions later. As Batman picked the lock on the outer door in almost a laughable amount of time, the archer posed a question to the Justice League’s elected leader.

“So, Diana fill you in on her plans?” All he got was a silent nod. The Emerald Archer just kept on talking. “Crazy, isn’t it? Wanting her to join the Team the same time as--” Out of nowhere, two assassins with swords still in their scabbards turned the corner. An arrow with a powerful tranquilizer injector knocked one down: a brief scuffle with Batman saw the other go down with a gurgle as Batman released his chokehold. “Keep it down, Arrow. We’re on the clock.”

Green Arrow shrugged. “Whatever. It’s not like the League of Assassins sent its varsity players to deal with us. Imagine if Merlyn were here.” All he got was the Bat Glare. “Which of course wouldn’t be a problem for you. But maybe Talia…” Another Glare. “Alright, alright. I’ll stop.”

Another minute passed as Batman scanned the fortress for their target. “Found her on bio-scanning. Only college-aged female in the whole building. One level down, two guards, room overlooking the ocean.” Batman turned to Green Arrow, who smirked and asked a simple question. “One guard each?”

Surprisingly, Batman chuckled. “No. I’ve got them both myself.”

* * *

Inside a darkened room, a young blonde in a lab coat and glasses worked frantically on a computer, inputting code and editing algorithms at breakneck pace. A mysterious voice called out from speakers mounted in the ceiling. “We’re losing patience. Complete the project or forfeit your life.” At that, the blonde nodded, biting her lip and increasing her pace. The light from the screens reflected off her glasses, hiding the unshed tears lingering in her eyes. She had never been more afraid in her life.

“I’m completing as fast as I can, I promise. But please, let me go.” The voice brooked no argument. “You will complete this project, and if--” A thunderous explosion drowned out the rest of the sentence. The doctor covered her ears and cried out in shock, diving beneath the desk by instinct. She braced herself for the worst, only to feel a comforting hand on her shoulder. Opening her eyes and looking up, she did not see the black hoods of the League of Assassins, but a green one belonging to a member of a different League. “Are you alright, Miss Roquette?” Doctor Roquette stuttered out possibly the silliest response ever, at least in her mind. “It’s Doctor actually.” It would have sounded patronizing, if not for the timid voice it was spoken in.

Green Arrow chuckled and helped her up from the desk. “Sorry, Doc. I guess I should have read the briefing memo.” His warm smile brought some joy to the young doctor’s heart: not to mention, up close the Emerald Archer was even cuter in person. As they got up, Dr. Roquette realized for the first time that they were not alone in the room. Standing above the unconscious forms of the two assassins who had been guarding her stood none other than the Dark Knight of Gotham. “Whoa.”

Batman finished reinforcing the door with a glue-like substance and turned to Green Arrow. “We need to go. Now.” The Caped Crusader walked over to the young doctor, his face noticeably softening, at least for Batman. “Doctor, where is the weapon?” Serling tried to stutter out an answer, but it seemed the last few days had caught up with her. “It’s… not…”

“It’s not here. Damn it.” Batman swiveled around to face the door as loud thumping could be heard on the other side. “We need to move. Arrow, the wall.” Grumbling, the archer drew and fired an explosive arrow at the wall. The suddenness of the explosion, so soon after the initial one, shocked Roquette, but she soon found that she was getting over these sorts of things much more quickly than before. ‘Guess two weeks of captivity will do that to you.’

Batman stepped forward, pulling a strange looking device off his belt. Roquette’s curiosity was soon assuaged as a grapnel line shot out from both ends, securing in both the ceiling above and the beach far below. Green Arrow’s method, an arrow with a line attached, was less fancy but just as practical. An arm, not covered by any kind of clothing, held the young doctor tight as the two heroes prepared to flee the scene. Roquette looked over to the Emerald Archer, who actually _winked_ before they took off down their grappling line.

The doctor heard a shout ring out behind them. Something in Arabic, or a related language: she didn’t know. All she knew is that after that, an arrow whistled by her ear. Green Arrow grunted, unable to return fire with the doctor effectively immobilizing one of his arms. Batman had no problems, however, whipping three Batarangs behind him to try and provide suppressing fire.

Just a few mind-numbing seconds later, Roquette stumbled away from Green Arrow towards a boat moored nearby. Batman roared at her to get in and get down as arrows began to fall nearby. The Justice League’s resident archer took on a dozen assassins in a contest of long-range skill as Batman readied something on his wrist-mounted holographic computer. Finally, after painfully long seconds, he punched in the final command.

A wall of flame, generated by a dozen explosives detonating, cut off the assassins from their targets on the beach. Both heroes leapt into the boat, a rental purchased under a WayneTech shell corporation, and jetted quickly away from the battlefield. When all was said and done, Doctor Roquette finally spoke up. “That was crazy. How did you guys even survive all of that?”

Green Arrow’s response, of course, was a bit cheeky. “What, that? That’s any given Wednesday for us.” Batman silenced him with a Glare and turned to the twenty-something genius. “Doctor Roquette, what exactly did they make you build?”

Roquette’s face darkened. Slowly, she responded while curling up into a ball. “A weapon like none the world has ever seen.”

* * *

MOUNT JUSTICE  
AUGUST 8, 09:58 EDT  
2020

“I love the summer.” Robin, adorned in blue swim shorts and his usual dark sunglasses, leaned back in his beach chair. Next to him, three other Team members were engaged in various beach related activities. Kaldur was reading a book on one of the World Wars, Roy was sharpening arrows (he didn’t get the concept of relaxation), and Conner was, surprisingly, napping. Robin made a mental note to mess with him later.

Kaldur, looking up from his book for a moment, nodded. “Indeed, while I am unused to this idea of going to the beach, I must admit it’s quite relaxing.” Roy grunted a reply, having finally finished his last arrow and sliding it back into his quiver. Aqualad smiled a little as he glanced over to his friend. “You know Roy, I have an excellent book on Atlantean history if you would like to read it.”

The archer smirked as he stood up, quiver on his bare back and bow in hand. “No thanks. I’m more of a kinesthetic learner myself.” He walked away, down the beach towards the forest for some “much-needed target practice”, in his words. Robin had snorted at that: he was probably one of the best archers on the planet at this point. Who does he need to beat?

Robin sighed and looked out at the waves. “Too bad Wally couldn’t make it.” Kaldur nodded solemnly. “Indeed. His schooling begins far earlier than most, I see.”

Robin cackled madly. “Oh, and you bet he loves it.”

* * *

CENTRAL CITY  
AUGUST 8, 08:00 CDT  
2020

Wally West was not happy. It was the day he had dreaded all summer long, even when fighting crime with the Team or hanging out with Linda: the first day of school. Today marked another nine months of pathetically dragging himself to a dismal building in Central City every day (literally, he ran to school every day). Wally was just lucky to be at Central City High: it was the best in the twin cities of Central and Keystone, and far better than the abysmal school he would have gone to in Keystone.

That being said, Wally was way out of most of the students’ league here. He was a science whiz, even more so than his uncle, Cisco or Caitlin had been at that age. Doctor Wells had praised his work, especially the replication of the accident that had given Barry his powers. Creating a connection, however tenuous, to the Speed Force was no laughing matter. But as Barry always said, “you’ve got to blend in.” So, Wally was forced to live a normal kid’s life, despite the fact he could nearly break the sound barrier, read a textbook in seconds, and process information dozens of times more quickly than his fellow students.

As he sat in his first period English class, listening to his teacher (Reinbach? Reynolds? Who cares at this point?) drone on and on, he thought about the only bright spot in his school life. Linda: he could see her in approximately fifty minutes now, at the beginning of second period. His entire body seemed to agree, nearly vibrating from excitement. He craved the warm feeling he got around her, like she was fueling his speed somehow. Cisco had theorized something about endorphins, hormones and speed, but Barry had put his foot down about testing the idea. “My nephew’s sex life is not going to be discussed in this lab.”

As the bell rang nearly fifty agonizing slow minutes later, Wally resisted the urge to speed out of the classroom. He could feel the Speed Force in his system, coursing through his veins like a surge of adrenaline. The speedster couldn’t imagine how his mentor must feel everyday: Barry was the fastest man alive, able to break Mach 30 without a problem. Wally yearned for that kind of speed, if only to prove that he could break out from the Flash’s shadow.

Linda broke through his brooding, as usual, with a smile and a peck on the cheek. “Hey there Wally. What’s wrong: Reinbach as boring as usual?” Despite his general mood, Wally felt his lips curling upwards in a smile. Maybe today wouldn’t be so bad after all.

* * *

MOUNT JUSTICE  
AUGUST 8, 18:06 EDT  
2020

After enduring yet another awkward family dinner with the Wests and the Allens, Wally had raced to STAR Labs, gathered up the equipment Cisco had prepared, and raced through the Zeta-Tube without a second thought. It was time for action.

“Recognized: Kid Flash, B-0-4.”

As the light died down, the shirtless, sunglasses-wearing speedster jogged out carrying too many things: a stereo, an umbrella, a cooler, and even a beach ball. “The Wall-Man is here. Now let’s get this party start--” The speedster, usually adept with his footwork, tripped over the umbrella and fell to the ground. His beach supplies came crashing down with him, with the exception of the beach ball. That bounced towards the group of uniformed heroes standing in the center of the briefing room. The red and white sphere bounced over Red Tornado’s and Batman’s heads, finally coming to a halt behind the unamused Leaguers.

His sunglasses askew, Wally looked up to see either thoroughly amused looks, even from Green Arrow, or carefully controlled scowls like Batman’s. His gaze pivoted to fall upon two newcomers, who actually made his jaw drop. Both were blonde, tall for their age, and looked entirely badass. Both were slender, yet muscular, especially the taller one in the black sleeveless top. ‘Get it together Wally: you have a girlfriend.’

It was then he noticed that they were also in uniforms: the taller one wore a black sleeveless top with two golden lines running across the chest, red pants with white stripes down the sides, and blue shoes. Wally belatedly noticed the silver bracelets and golden lasso as well. ‘No way…’

The other was dressed in a slightly different kind of costume. Colored in various shades of green, the uniform included a mask which revealed her grayish eyes, cheekbones and mouth; a sleeveless top with an arrow tip on the front; pants with black knee pads, fingerless gloves, and finally black combat boots. A quiver was secured along her back with two straps, her long blonde hair kept up in a ponytail to allow her freedom of movement. Much to Wally’s chagrin, a green compound bow was held firmly in her right hand, and a wide grin was plastered on her face.

“Wall-Man, huh? I love the uniform.” Robin snickered, silenced by Batman’s Glare. “What exactly are your powers?” Wally’s cheeks lit up as he pulled himself to his feet in a blur, lightning crackling around his form. To his credit, the girl in the black sleeveless top _next to Wonder Woman_ (‘How’d you miss that Wally?’) was taken aback, but the bow wielding girl was still collected after his little display.

“Uh, who’s this?” He silently pleaded to Robin with his eyes to tell him that this wasn’t happening. Robin, in full uniform, simply grinned and turned back to face the new archer. She responded with a casual tone, brandishing her bow. “Artemis, your new teammate.”

Wally crossed his arms. “Kid Flash. Never heard of you.” Wally turned to the other blonde, hoping for a better reaction from the cuter one. He might have a girlfriend, but he could still flirt. “But I’m hoping you’ve heard of me.” Both Robin and Artemis groaned.

Despite his obvious charming, the blonde smiled brightly and nodded. “Yup, you’re Flash’s protégé. I’m Wonder Girl, by the way.” Wally smiled and zoomed over to shake her hand. “Nice to meet you. So glad you’re joining the Team.” He may have laid it on too thick there: Wonder Woman sent him a menacing glare that sent him racing back to his position next to Robin. The young detective couldn’t help but notice some added tension in Superboy’s shoulders: what was that about?

With that business concluded, Green Arrow stepped forward. “Artemis is actually my new protégé.” Artemis nodded, her bow lowering to her side as the elder archer put his hand on her shoulder. Wally was dumbfounded: he sputtered out a response more aggressively than he intended. “What happened to your old one?”

“He outgrew that particular role. And it’s not Speedy anymore, GA. It’s Arsenal.” Arsenal, pulling on his quiver, walked into the room. Green Arrow’s expression was one of amazement as his former protégé stopped next to Aqualad. “Speedy, you look--”

“Replaceable.” Immediately, the Emerald Archer was on the defensive. “It’s not like that. You told me you were going solo. Fel… Overwatch and Spartan even told me so. Canary too.”

“So apparently you found a sub. Can she even use that bow?” To her credit, Artemis strode up confidently and looked Roy in the eye. Well, into his domino mask, but it was still impressive. Wally threw his hands up into the air. “Who are you?”

Almost too quickly, both Artemis and Green Arrow answered at the same time. “She’s/I’m my/his niece.” Roy’s eyes narrowed a little behind his mask, an observation made by both Robin and Batman. He knew something was off about that story, but to his credit Arsenal kept silent.

Aqualad walked up and placed a comforting hand on Roy’s right shoulder. He needed a friend right now. “But she is not your replacement. You are a member of this team, and we do not have a quota on archers.”

Wally, of course, ruined the moment. “And if we did, you know who we’d pick.” Artemis snorted and shouldered her bow. “Whatever, _Baywatch_. I’m here to stay.” Both Robin and Superboy had to hide their smirks: even Green Arrow was smiling a little bit. This new archer had some fire in her: that’s for sure.

Roy nodded and stepped back into the circle. With that business concluded, Batman turned to Wonder Woman. “Diana, I believe you have someone to introduce to the Team as well.” The Amazon nodded and stepped forward with her companion in tow.

“Young heroes, this is Wonder Girl. She is my protégé, an Amazon warrior of rare talent and skill. I have allowed her to join this team, in the hope that her training will be completed among heroes her own age.” Wonder Girl smiled and waved again, a sentiment returned by both Robin and Wally. Kaldur stepped forward to shake her hand respectfully, treating her as he would any warrior. “It is good to have you here. I’m sure that your presence will bring something much needed to the Team.”

“Gosh, I sure hope so! All this strength, and I don’t ever get to let loose!” The girl’s enthusiasm rivaled that of Wally’s. Kaldur held back a smile, settling instead for a diplomatic nod. Robin elbowed Superboy in the gut. “Hey SB, looks like you’ve finally got a sparring partner.” The Kryptonian clone nodded, but seemed much more subdued than normal. Something was up.

Batman cleared his throat, bringing everyone’s attention back to him. “With that business concluded, we have a mission for the Team.” On cue, the holographic screens flashed to life, portraying a mysterious island fortress and a picture of a young blonde woman in her early twenties. Wally whistled: “Who’s the cutie?”

Robin slapped him on the back of the head. Batman nodded towards his protégé, a gesture of thanks that almost caused another outburst from Wally. “Doctor Serling Roquette. Nanorobotics genius and claytronics expert at Royal University in Star City.” Robin took over the briefing, opening a League file on Roquette. “Graduated from college at the age of 15, doctorate by 20. Leading expert in her field, specializing in nanorobotics for medical purposes. Went missing two and a half weeks ago: police don’t have any suspects.”

Green Arrow nodded. “That’s because the League of Assassins was behind the abduction.” Robin’s face lit up like a Christmas tree: Batman had never let him go up against the League, not even with him. “Whoa. You want us to rescue her from the League of Assassins?” Wally looked over and fist-bumped his friend. “Hard-core.”

Batman shook his head as emphatically as possible. “No. Last night, Green Arrow and I successfully rescued the doctor from her prison on Infinity Island, a known League of Assassins stronghold. There was a complication, however: the League had already coerced her into creating a weapon.” Roy groaned: if this was the League of Assassins, it would be like the earthquake device that Merlyn had tried to use to level Star in 2014.

The screens now displayed images of a nano-bot, resembling a kind of insect with four mechanical legs and wings. “Doctor Roquette refers to it as the Fog, comprised of millions of microscopic robots, nanotech infiltrators capable of disintegrating anything in their path-- concrete, steel, flesh, bone.” The chilly tone in Batman’s voice killed any good mood felt by the young heroes: this weapon could potentially kill millions, throw the world into chaos.

But Batman wasn’t finished. “But it isn’t just a weapon in a simple sense. It’s also the world’s greatest hacking tool. The infiltrators eat and store raw data from any computer system and upload said intel to the controller. That person, or organization, could have access to weapons, strategic defense, cutting-edge science and tech.”

Artemis, almost lazily holding her bow, spoke glibly. “Perfect for extortion, manipulation, power broking. Yep, sounds like the League of Assassins.” Wally, arrogant as ever, responded boldly to the archer’s claim. “Like you know anything about these guys.” All he got in return was a proud smirk from the young female archer. Wally was infuriated and confused: “Who are you?!”

Wonder Girl raised her hand, Batman’s stern gaze falling upon her. “I don’t get it. Why doesn’t the League, Justice League, go swoop in, take out the bad guys, and secure the weapon?” Superboy nodded along, not seeing the nuance of the situation. Wonder Woman herself was conflicted about Batman’s motives for this particular mission.

Batman responded, to his credit, with a level head and sound logic. “The Fog is too dangerous a weapon to attack directly. For all we know, it could take down a Kryptonian, as unlikely as that may seem. This counterattack to the League of Assassins must be quiet, and must be off the radar. The Justice League cannot afford to confront the League of Assassins in a global war. Too many innocents would be in the crossfire.” He waved his hand in the air, the screen shifting to display the local high school in Happy Harbor.

“We’ve placed her under heavy surveillance at Happy Harbor High School. She’s begun to work on a virus to render the Fog inert, but she’ll be extremely vulnerable to the League’s attempts to eliminate her. That’s where you all come in. Your job is to protect the doctor while she neutralizes the threat. If need be, you may deploy against the Fog _for reconnaissance only_.” Batman turned to Kaldur now, the Atlantean unconsciously stiffening up like a soldier at attention.

“Aqualad, I’m authorizing use of the Javelin. Both Robin and Arsenal are now rated for flight ops. It is up to you to decide who may deploy if need be. Any questions?” Aqualad shook his head. “No, Batman. You can count on us.”

The Dark Knight nodded solemnly. “Good luck.”

* * *

HAPPY HARBOR  
AUGUST 8, 21:53 EDT  
2020

The Team was deployed in a typical defensive manner: Wonder Girl hovered just inches above the school’s roof, with Arsenal standing at the ready next to her. Superboy monitored the other side of the school on the ground. Inside the school, the other four heroes gathered in the computer lab to guard their objective closely. That objective was currently coding as fast as she could, trembling slightly as she tried to save the world. Aqualad, peering out of the small window set in the lab’s door, pressed a finger to his ear. “Robin, are you sure this line is secure?”

The Boy Wonder nodded, responding into his own earpiece despite being in the same room. “Yeah. There’s no way that the League can intercept us.” Artemis snorted from across the room, leaning against a desk and checking one of her arrows for the fifth time. Robin held back a chuckle: the first mission was always the most nerve-wracking, even if the young archer wanted to seem tough as nails. Kid Flash, his suit now darkened by stealth-tech, munched on an energy bar and called out Artemis for her attitude. “Hey, whatever you may think, Robin is a tech genius and if he says the line’s unhackable, it’s unhackable.”

Artemis rolled her eyes. “If you say so.” The young speedster nearly vibrated from anger. He jabbed the half-eaten energy bar (‘still tastes like sawdust, no matter how much Cisco tweaks the formula’) at Artemis. “Hey, I do not need lip from the one who nearly drove Arsenal off the Team.” Artemis shot up like a rocket and pointed an accusing finger at Wally. “Hey, that is so not on me.”

Fed up with the arguing, the usually quiet doctor piped up. “Hey, not to interrupt, but the fate of the world is at stake here. Could you take it somewhere else?” Kid Flash and Artemis exchanged a long glare before the green-clad archer started to walk towards the door. “How about I just help on perimeter watch?” Aqualad, watching over the confrontation torn between amusement and frustration, simply nodded. “Good idea.”

Robin turned to his best friend, who was hurriedly eating, once Artemis exited the room. “You should cut her some slack. If GA and Batman trust her, we should too.” Wally looked at Robin with incredulity, the Boy Wonder’s face serious for once. The speedster sighed and turned back to his high-calorie snack. “Yeah, not going to give her the satisfaction.”

His earpiece buzzed as someone spoke into their shared line. “You know I can still hear you.” His coms were still transmitting, something that Kid Flash quickly rectified with a groan escaping his lips. Robin stifled a cackle as his friend gave him his best death glare.

Aqualad strode over to stand next to Doctor Roquette. The timid blonde looked up and blushed at the quite handsome teen standing behind her. She barely registered his question, entranced by his pale green irises. “Can you track it?”

She shook her head, coming to her senses after her rationality took hold once more. “I’m sorry, what?” Aqualad smiled and leaned over the desk next to her. He had to admit, the doctor was quite lovely, if not somewhat quiet and subdued. The prodigy certainly did not fit the stereotype of a nerdy computer expert, a fact that he, and the other members of the Team, enjoyed.

He pointed to the screen, carefully not to make too many sudden movements around the distressed woman. “The virus will not be of much use if we cannot find the weapon. Can you track it?” Roquette smiled softly, showing her bright white teeth to the younger Atlantean. “Of course, but I’d like to think of the Fog as… science gone awry.” The smile fell from her face as she pulled up the tracking program she had whipped up an hour ago. “I installed a backdoor in the Fog’s software, so I could access it remotely. But as soon as I do, they’ll have this location. Might as well have a billboard built on top of the school with ‘Assassinate Me’ written in neon.”

Aqualad placed a calloused hand on Roquette’s shoulder. The blonde sighed and leaned in ever so slightly to his touch. “We will protect you.” The Atlantean’s comforting words calmed the doctor down, giving her hope in this dark time. Slowly and shakily, she punched in a command to the tracking program and hit ENTER. Quickly, the program opened up a map, which zoomed in on a small airport outside of Philadelphia. Kaldur smiled softly: “Thank you Doctor.”

The older woman returned the favor. “Thanks. Let’s hope it’s not for nothing.” As Aqualad turned away to brief his team, her voice called out, a little more firmly than before. “And please call me Serling.” Aqualad smiled again, both of them experiencing something they had not felt in a long time.

* * *

PHILADELPHIA  
AUGUST 8, 21:57 EDT  
2020

A private jet sat on the tarmac of the small airport, waiting to take off. Inside, a man wearing a peculiar helmet sat at a table nursing a glass of scotch. The helm covered only the top of his head, with a single red photoreceptor over his own eyes. Professor Ojo’s window gazing was interrupted by an alert from the plane’s computer. He turned to see a holographic display open up, a picture of a young blonde woman in a lab coat and a separate map side by side. The operative smiled as he saw just where Doctor Roquette was hiding out.

He contacted his handler, a man who ran the League’s operations in this hemisphere and one of the trusted members of the inner circle. Only he and a few others could claim the privilege of being close to the League’s founder and leader. The man, his face hardened by age and years of service, flashed on screen next to the map. The helmeted man spoke with a tone of deference to the wizened old sage. “Roquette has surfaced to track us, but we can now backtrace it. Hopefully, your theory will be proven correct.”

Back on Infinity Island, Sensei, sitting in a lotus position with an open robe revealing a heavily scarred chest, replied with an even tone. “I am rarely wrong Professor.” A few seconds later, the screen chimed as the tracking algorithm finished its duty. Sensei looked at the map and smiled. He switched off his feed to Ojo for a minute and transferred to another communications line. It was audio only, but a feminine, yet intimidating voice, laced with a British accent, answered. “Yes?”

“The target is in Happy Harbor High School. You are to proceed as planned.” Sensei grinned wolfishly as the line went dead. Everything was falling into place, just as his master predicted.

* * *

HAPPY HARBOR  
AUGUST 8, 22:01 EDT  
2020

As Superboy patrolled his half of the perimeter, he stretched all of his heightened senses to their peak, trying to detect any incoming threats. The Kryptonian blocked out any talking he might have heard, focusing instead on simple noises like footsteps or… birds rustling. He looked around, not seeing any birds taking flight. ‘Other side of the school.’

In a single, casual leap, Superboy made his way to the roof of the high school. He exchanged a look with Arsenal, who nodded politely before returning his attention to the surrounding area. The Kryptonian leapt again, clearing the roof and landing on the sidewalk in front of the school, a few feet from the twin blondes sitting in front of the entrance. He nodded to them and walked away, both heroines turning to watch him do so. Artemis smiled and stared a bit more intently than Wonder Girl. “That boy…”

The whisper was only heard by Wonder Girl and Superboy, who both turned to look at her. Wonder Girl put her hands on her hips and raised an eyebrow. “Really? Right now?” Artemis turned to the Team’s only other female member and shrugged. “What, he’s got a nice--”

A beep from their earpieces stopped Artemis from talking any further about Superboy’s… physical traits, much to his relief. Aqualad’s cool and collected voice came in over the channel. “Doctor Roquette has located the Fog. Robin will lead a detachment to pursue. Superboy, Wonder Girl, go with him. Arsenal and Artemis, remain on perimeter until further notice.”

Wonder Girl nodded and hovered above the ground. Artemis looked over wistfully as she glided over to Superboy’s position and waited for Robin to join them. Without warning, the Amazon took a hold of both boys and flew them over to the cloaked Javelin in the parking lot. In less than a minute, the plane took off, heading south out over the ocean. Artemis sighed and fired a grappling arrow upwards so she could join her fellow archer on the roof.

Little did she know that two figures watched silently from the bushes nearby. Nearly discovered by Superboy, they had been saved by Aqualad’s decision to send the Team’s two strongest members with the Boy Wonder. One of the women smiled behind her mask. ‘This is going to be fun.’

* * *

ATLANTIC OCEAN  
AUGUST 8, 22:04 EDT  
2020

As Robin took the controls of the Javelin and throttled the plane to supersonic speeds, Wonder Girl excused herself from the cockpit. After a few minutes, Superboy got nervous, worried about their new teammate. A look exchanged with Robin betrayed the other youth’s fears too. “Go check on her. We’re about eight minutes out from Philly, and we might need her.”

Superboy nodded and unbuckled, the plane holding steady despite moving at Mach 1.5. Slowly but surely, the Kryptonian followed the sound of retching back to the rear lavatory. Just as he got there, Wonder Girl stepped out, drying her face off with a paper towel. “Oh, hey, Superboy…”

He crossed his arms and leaned against the bulkhead. “Motion sickness? It’s okay if it is: we are moving at one and a half times the speed of sound.” The Amazon shook her head, shivering a little from what Superboy could tell. She responded in a less than confident tone of voice. “It’s… my first mission. I don’t want to mess things up.”

The Kryptonian’s face softened at the revelation. He guided Wonder Girl to a sitting position next to some crates, taking the spot next to her. “You know, I get scared too, believe it or not.” The Amazon looked to him with incredulity. “I know, I know, why should I be? I’m a Kryptonian: for all I know, my only vulnerabilities are green rocks and red sunlight. But I’m not really scared of being hurt: I’m terrified of letting the team down.”

“How do you get past it then? How do you feel less… burdened?” Superboy smiled softly and leaned back against the bulkhead, which vibrated in a somewhat soothing manner. “I remember that even as one of the most powerful beings on the planet, I still can’t fix everything. You need to remember that the people you’re fighting besides are capable and ready to do what is necessary. When you realize that you’re no longer an individual, but a part of something bigger, then the world seems a lot less daunting.”

Wonder Girl grinned, her old personality coming back up to the surface. “I knew that you would understand better than most. It must be hard, having to hold back.” It was Superboy’s turn to be surprised. “What do you mean?”

“Trust me, I first got my strength a year ago. I spent six months having to hide it before Wonder Woman found me and took me in. It’s hard, having to live as a god among mortals.” The girl’s face hardened, a warrior’s visage taking hold. “But you understand more than most. A punch from people like us could level a building, kill hundreds. It’s a burden that no one our age should have to bear, but we do anyways.”

Superboy was stunned: this girl knew what it was like to be abnormal, truly so. Even Aqualad or Kid Flash couldn’t relate: sure, Wally might be fast and Kaldur might be skilled, but they were still close enough to human. Conner, though, was no human. He could bench press tons; concrete and metal were nothing compared to his power. And for the first time, Superboy had met someone his age who could really understand, just like Clark had.

Robin’s voice sounded from the intercom. “Ladies and gentlemen, please return to the cockpit. We’re approaching Philadelphia.” At that, Wonder Girl stood up, a cocky smile accentuating up her beautiful features. “Coming Superboy?” The Kryptonian gathered his wits about him and nodded. Time to go to work.

* * *

HAPPY HARBOR  
AUGUST 8, 22:12 EDT  
2020

Arsenal and Artemis, like two watchful guardians, looked out over the school grounds without speaking a word. The older archer was vigilant, his years fighting crime on the streets of Star City honing his senses and his tactical mind. His companion, well trained but not having had the chance to put that training to practical use, looked around more lazily. After a few minutes, she tried to strike up a conversation. “So, _Roy_ , why is it that you think you’re better than me?”

Arsenal, his laser focus finally broken, turned to face Artemis with an incredulous smile on his face. “What makes you think that?” The blonde archer crossed her arms, cocking her head to the side ever so slightly. “The judgmental looks, the not-so-subtle ribbing at my skills back at the Cave.” Roy snorted and put his head in his hands. “Oh boy…”

Below them, unseen as the two archers talked, two figures raced across the yard to a side entrance. One of them drew a sai and broke the lock silently, providing them a point of entry. The second kept her head and a drawn compound bow on a swivel, her dark eyes lancing out towards every blindspot, every oblique angle. Without a word, both melted into the darkness within the building.

Inside, Kid Flash had taken the solemn duty of standing outside the lab’s door. Really, he couldn’t take the increasing tension between the doctor and their team’s beloved leader. ‘Good for Kaldur: he needs to get his mind off Garth.’ Still, the awkwardness of the situation left the speedster no choice but to leave.

As he stood guard, a shadow appeared out of a nearby hallway. Instead of sounding the alarm right away, the intrigued teen called out, walking towards the hallway at normal speeds. “Arsenal? Artemis? Is that you?” The shadow vanished as he turned to see an empty hallway. His adrenaline fueling his need for speed, Kid Flash took off down the hallway, only to see another shadow at the entrance to the indoor pool. ‘Got you now.’

Without looking, he charged through the open door… only to slip on marbles spilled all over the ground. As he collapsed with an “oomph,” his vision went blurry from the sudden high-speed impact. He could make out two shadowy figures walking towards him, their voices muffled. “Speedsters… easy… take down…” Wally fought to remain conscious, pushing himself up by his elbows. The second figure, her face hidden by a mask, noticed his struggle and knelt down. The next thing he knew, a blazing pain erupted by his temple, followed by darkness.

The Team’s channel flared with static as Wally’s unit failed. Arsenal held up his hand to stop Artemis, putting his other to his earpiece. “Everyone okay in there?” Aqualad was quick to respond in the affirmative, but Kid Flash remained silent. “Kid Flash, you there?” Still silence. Both archers moved at the same time, heading for the roof access door.

Aqualad took a defensive position near Doctor Roquette, taking care not to alarm her. He faintly heard the door open behind him, then the semi-familiar sound of an object whistling through the air. Acting on instinct, the Atlantean dove behind Roquette, catching the shuriken with his chest. Grunting, he nonetheless leapt up and pushed the doctor behind him as two more shurikens lodged in his arm.

The assassin, dressed in a green kimono and a white mask that reminded the young hero of a cat, strode into the room calmly. “That had to hurt.” Her voice was dry, but tinged with just a bit of humor. She casually drew two sais, twirling both in her hands as Aqualad yanked out the shuriken and drew his Water Bearers in the form of two swords.

“Atlantean skin is quite dense.” The assassin charged forward and exchanged a few exploratory blows with the Atlantean. Much to his surprise, Aqualad felt a little sluggish, unable to move as quickly or strike as hard as he wanted to. ‘What is happening to me?’ He could almost hear the smirk in the masked assassin’s voice as she struck again. “And my shuriken are quite poisonous.”

That’s what it was: jellyfish toxin. Aqualad remembered from his days at the military academy. He landed a solid kick to the assailant’s chest, who vaulted backwards from the force of the blow only to land gracefully on the other side of the room. Aqualad wasted no time calling in help: “Artemis, Arsenal, Kid, we are under attack in the computer lab.”

Artemis and Arsenal burst out of the door to the roof, Artemis keying in to respond. “On our way.” Suddenly, as they turned the corner, an arrow with black fletching shot past Artemis’s face. The blonde archer whipped out her own arrow and leveled her drawn bow at the attacker. The archer was dressed in League of Assassins’ robes, a mask covering the lower part of her face and a red pauldron signifying her identity. Artemis tried to keep her bow steady as she aimed an arrow at the daughter of the Demon’s Head.

Arsenal was also quick to draw, but the archer would not yield. “You shall go no farther.” Her voice, accented with a beautiful accent (British, perhaps), nearly entranced Roy before he regained his senses. “Who are you?”

“I am Nyssa, daughter of Ra’s al Ghul. And you shall go no farther, Crimson Archer.” Her eyes flickered over to Artemis. “You seem… familiar.”

Artemis shot her a cocky grin. “I must have one of those faces.”

It was then that Arsenal noticed the black mass next to Nyssa. It looked remarkably humanoid, just like… The figure groaned, his voice quite distinctive. “Ouch.” Nyssa looked down in alarm as Kid Flash woke up quite quickly. She had thought that blow would have knocked him out for at least an hour: she had not counted on his healing abilities.

She tried to swivel and fire a shot off at the prone speedster, only to hit the floor. A blur of darkness mixed with lightning zoomed up next to Artemis and Arsenal. “Speedsters.” The female archer was quick to draw again, aiming at the three heroes once more. Arsenal glanced over to his two companions. “Go help Kaldur. I’ve got this.” Kid Flash looked over in alarm, his questioning glare silenced by an angry glare from Roy. “Go.”

Without a second thought, Kid Flash scooped up Artemis and zoomed away in a blur of yellow lightning. Arsenal returned his glare to his opponent, who actually chuckled. “You think you can face me, child?”

“Child? You’re like, the same age as me.” That last remark resulted in arrows flying.

* * *

Aqualad, meanwhile, continued his battle with the mysterious masked assassin. Both tumbled to the ground after a burst of fighting, the female fighter now seeing an opportunity. She hurled one of her sai at Doctor Roquette, who was backed up against a bulletin board. Aqualad, grunting in frustration, knocked it off-course with a water whip. The weapon lodged itself in the board just inches away from the doctor’s head.

Anger blazing in his normally calm eyes, Aqualad stood between the assassin and the doctor. A snide comment echoed from behind the mask. “Almost. Poison slowing you down?” Aqualad’s whip had now reformed into a sword, allowing him to press forward. Both of his swings, however, were blocked by the assassin, who had drawn another sai and was holding him in an overhead struggle.

He leaned in and glared into the mask. “Jellyfish toxin. I’m largely immune.” Both of them knew what that meant. His arms were shaking, his usually impressive strength unable to break the stalemate. So the assassin did, headbutting him and forcing him to drop his Water Bearers. As the Atlantean collapsed to the ground with a groan, the assassin straddled him and raised one of her sai. “Largely.”

Suddenly, an arrow knocked the weapon from her hand. She looked over to the doorway, where both Artemis and Kid Flash stood ready to pounce. Artemis calmly pointed a very lethal arrow at the assassin. “Don’t move.”

Kid Flash very wisely stayed back, remembering what the assassins had done to him earlier. Aqualad slowly stood up, reforming his water swords. The assassin merely chuckled and drew a collapsible sword, giving it a few exploratory swings. “My, my, what am I to do?”

Artemis fired off arrow after arrow, all slashed to pieces by the assassin’s expert sword-wielding. Kid Flash raced over to cover the doctor, glaring at Artemis for the potential collateral damage. The speedster’s sudden movement seemed to remind the assassin of the meta-powered threat. “Maybe it’s time to… vanish.” A smoke bomb, detonating silently at the assassin’s feet, obscured her withdrawal even as Kid Flash rushed forward to try to seize her. Instead, he wound up tackling Artemis, knocking both of them to the floor.

As Artemis looked up in shock for just a second, she could tell Wally’s cheeks were bright red. Much to her surprise, her own cheeks were coloring as well. ‘What the…’ Instead of addressing that particular fact, Artemis shoved the speedster off her and got up. “Good job, Baywatch.”

Kid Flash, shaking off his embarrassment quickly, pointed at her. “What do you mean, ‘good job?’ This is all your fault! You were on perimeter!” Artemis’s eyes just narrowed, before another person joined the discussion.

“Relax, Kid. I was there too: it’s on both of us.” Arsenal strode into the room, not looking worse for wear. “Besides, we’ve got more pressing issues. The other assassin, Nyssa, got away. Smoke bomb, couldn’t stop her.” He turned to Aqualad, who was still processing the toxin in his system. “I’m sorry Kaldur.”

Aqualad smiled softly at his friend. “Apology accepted, my friend. But we must move the doctor before anything else happens.” As if their day couldn’t get any more stressful, Robin radioed in frantically. “Robin to Aqualad, we’re over Philadelphia. We’ve located the next target: STAR Labs.” Everyone’s blood ran cold: STAR was one of the most advanced tech companies on Earth, with facilities worldwide working on advanced biotech, genetic engineering, and the study of metahumans.

In Philadelphia, the Javelin hovered over the crumbling ruins of the facility. Robin’s eyes widened as he radioed in. “It’s gone. Everything… just wiped clean. The Fog beat us here.” A pregnant pause hung over the line. “Aqualad, what do we do?”

* * *

The Team had moved Doctor Roquette to the Happy Harbor Visitor’s Center, Artemis picking the lock to get them inside. Arsenal and Aqualad remained on perimeter detail, while Kid Flash and Artemis stayed inside guarding the doctor. They had already rescanned for the Fog, finding that it was still in Philadelphia. However, they knew that this meant that the League of Assassins had their location. And after their defeat last time, they would be bringing backup.

Arsenal, hidden in the shadows on the roof, watched as Aqualad came to a halt underneath a tree. He keyed into his coms, speaking loudly enough for anyone listening to hear. “Arsenal, continue your long-range recon. Report back after you’ve finished with your sweep.” Arsenal grinned and responded in a low voice. “Acknowledged. Good luck, old friend.”

Suddenly, red webbing yanked the Atlantean up into the tree’s thick canopy. The archer could hear a struggle taking place in the leaves, only for Aqualad to fly out and slam into the side of a parked van. ‘Ouch, that had to hurt, even for him.’ Still, the Team’s leader stood up to face his assailant, a man in a purple spandex costume. ‘Their contractors are much weirder than their standard assassins.’ Roy had to hold back a shout as a man with a large hook for a right arm snuck up behind Aqualad and knocked him out.

The two assassins from before joined their comrades next to Aqualad’s unconscious form. Nyssa, her mask pulled down to reveal a pretty, if still youthful, face, nodded to both assassins. “Excellent work.” The assassin in the mask, who according to the database went by Chesire, spoke next. “Now, that archer will be back soon and I’m not keen on evening their odds. We end Roquette now.”

Without a word, the assassins moved into position. Arsenal silently followed them, only to have an arrow embed itself into the roof inches from his hand. Looking down, he noticed Nyssa standing there, bow drawn. The rest had already gone inside. ‘Great, I get to fight the crazy assassin lady again.’

He dropped to the ground, the wood of the decking creaking under the strain. Nyssa had pulled up her mask and was aiming another arrow at Roy’s chest. “So, Crimson Archer, it seems you tried to deceive us.” She glanced over to Aqualad, only to realize her vision was blocked by the large van parked there. “What is your endgame?”

Arsenal smirked, no mask there to hide it from his opponent. “Just a simple little ambush. You caught me though. But if you think you can beat me, you’ve got another thing coming.” His chuckle aggravated the daughter of the Demon to no end. “Enough! I was trained by al-Sahir, one of the greatest archers in the world. I will not be mocked!”

She fired the arrow at the seemingly unprepared Arsenal. But instead of ducking or weaving, the heroic archer decided to take another route. His hand moved in a blur, almost too quickly for Nyssa to see, and caught the arrow in mid-flight. Nyssa looked absolutely stunned as the arrow’s shaft quivered in Roy’s hand. “Yeah, well, I was trained by the guy who kicked your master’s ass.” Arsenal quickly fired the caught arrow back at its owner, who leaned out of its path just barely. She looked back at Roy, who was nocked and ready. “Let’s see who comes out on top.”

* * *

Inside, the battle was going very differently. Black Spider had tried to web up Kid Flash and take his speed out of the fight, only for the speedster to run circles around him. They both exchanged tentative blows, Black Spider’s training barely making up for his deficiency in speed. Black Spider grunted as a super-fast fist lodged in his ribs, leaving a wicked bruise.

Artemis fired off two arrows at Hook, who ducked behind a bench. Doctor Roquette turned to Artemis in alarm, only for the young archer to grunt out a warning. “Don’t stop working.” Roquette nodded and turned back to the computer. Little did she know that above her, perched in the now open skylight, sat a certain masked assassin. Chesire leveled a loaded crossbow at her target, making sure to go for a clean shot to the heart.

Behind her mask, Chesire’s eyes narrowed just before she took the shot. The bolt, heard by both Kid Flash and Artemis, whistled through the air on the way to its target. The speedster raced to try and grab it, but was too late. The projectile whizzed through Roquette’s blurry form and lodged in the wood flooring. Chesire inhaled sharply behind her mask. “We’ve been duped!”

The hologram of Roquette fizzed out as Hook smashed the computer, and projector mounted on it, in an attempt to hit Artemis. The young archer managed to snap up and fire off two shots which landed next to Hook. Laughing with a booming voice, the assassin stood confidently with a third arrow aimed at his chest. “You missed.”

Artemis just shook her head. “Nope.” The arrows released their real payload: knockout gas. Hook collapsed to the ground coughing, only to fall into a deep sleep just a few seconds later. Artemis swiveled up to fire an arrow at Chesire, only to discover the assassin was gone.

The young archer ran past Kid Flash, who was grappling with Black Spider. “I’m pursuing Chesire! Keep him busy!”

The speedster knocked the assassin off him and yelled after the blonde. “You are so not the boss of me!” He ducked as Black Spider fired off some webbing. Artemis groaned and kept running. “Just do it!”

* * *

PHILADELPHIA  
AUGUST 8, 22:56 EDT  
2020

The Javelin settled into position over the parking garage. Robin briefed the other two heroes as they gathered near the deployment bay doors. “The next target is a WayneTech facility. In theory, its systems software could be used to hack the…” Superboy and Wonder Girl both frowned. Robin waved his hand nonchalantly. “Never mind. What matters is WayneTech operates a 24-hour workforce. We’ll never evacuate the building in time.”

* * *

HAPPY HARBOR  
AUGUST 8, 22:56 EDT  
2020

Chesire raced past the dueling archers, pausing at where Aqualad had once lain. “Oh, I do not like being played.” Her mask’s eyes lit up as the latent thermal scanners powered up. She saw a trail of footprints leading down the street towards the… “Internet café. Got you.” The assassin ran at impressive speeds down the street, Artemis just getting to the van as her target was a hundred yards away. Quickly nocking and firing a weighted arrow, Artemis was disappointed as Chesire sliced it in two with her sai. “I was hoping it’d be you.”

Artemis raced down the street after Chesire, even taking to the rooftops with a few tactically placed leaps. She retrieved a knockout gas arrow from her quiver, paused, and fired at just the right moment. Chesire, landing from her own jump, was helpless to stop as the arrow lodged in the nearby chimney and detonated. The assassin collapsed, coughing as the gas took hold…

Or so Artemis thought. Just as she landed on the roof and nocked another arrow, Chesire came to and swept her legs out from under her. Artemis collapsed with a cry, dropping her bow and arrow. “Mask has built-in filters.” The archer snapped up and tried to kick at Chesire, only to be pulled by the ankle into a standing position. The assassin wrapped her arms behind her in a strong hold, the blonde struggling to break free. “Better luck next time, kid.” The next thing Artemis saw was darkness as Chesire landed a well-placed blow to a pressure point on the back of her neck. She was out like a light in seconds.

Below them, ensconced in the internet café, Aqualad attentively listened. A loud thump caused him to draw his swords once more. “We have company.” Roquette, sweat beading on her brow, pressed the ENTER key. “Uploading now. Besides, you’ll protect me, right?” Aqualad smiled, only to grow serious again as a pellet rolled into the room. Smoke erupted from the sphere, aggravating the hero as he pushed the doctor behind him.

Suddenly, he heard a noise from the ceiling behind him. Wheeling around, he was helpless to stop three darts from lodging themselves in his chest. Chesire landed gracefully even as Aqualad stumbled backwards, the toxin flooding his system. “Let’s test the limit of your jellyfish immunity, shall we?” The Atlantean shook his head, trying to press on despite the lethargic feeling creeping into every part of his body. He rushed forward, swinging once, twice, three times in an anger-fueled effort to stop the assassin.

A well-placed kick to the chin knocked the already weakened hero to the ground, his swords losing their form and becoming mere puddles of water. The light in his tattoos died away as he slipped into unconsciousness. Chesire smirked behind her mask: “There. Limit tested.”

She then turned to Doctor Roquette, menacingly drawing a sai as she did so. “Now, Doctor…” Roquette stepped back, only for Chesire to advance on the defenseless woman. “Time for my appointment.” Unbeknownst to the assassin, the computer screen now displayed a bar displaying the progress of the upload. It was too late to stop it, but Chesire didn’t know that as she moved to end Roquette’s life.

* * *

PHILADELPHIA  
AUGUST 8, 23:01 EDT  
2020

The deployment doors slid open as Robin monitored the upload from his holographic computer. “It’s uploading!” Superboy nodded, looking down at the parking garage below. A van that had pulled up a few minutes before had piqued his attention. Infrared vision showed one human and some kind of heat-emitting device in the back, the human clearly tinkering with it. Suddenly, the van door slid open, revealing a man in a half helmet pressing buttons on a strange cylinder.

‘Gotcha.’ Superboy yelled out to Robin enthusiastically as he jumped down at Ojo. “Don’t need it!” Both Wonder Girl and Robin reached out to stop him, but were unsuccessful. The noise drew Ojo’s attention, who looked at the descending Kryptonian with an angry snarl. He swiped his finger across a device on his belt, his cybernetic eye glowing red. Superboy simply smirked until he switched to infrared: there was an immense heat buildup in the eye. ‘Almost like Superman when he…’

An intense burst of simulated heat vision smashed into Superboy. The blast knocked him off course, the dazed Kryptonian falling to the ground twenty meters from Ojo. Wonder Girl exclaimed loudly: “Is he alright?” Smoke rose from Superboy’s body, but he seemed to be just dazed, not knocked out. Ojo, on the other hand, pressed a button on the cylinder and released the Fog. Robin cried out as he dug out his grappling gun from his utility belt.

“WG, help Superboy! I’ll handle the Fog!” Without a second for discussion, Robin swung away, landing on the ground in front of the main entrance. He leapt through a hole in the glass front doors where the Fog had eaten its way into the building. A bespectacled, yet strangely muscular, security guard watched as the gray cloud moved of its own accord through the lobby of the building. “What in the---”

Robin raced past him, prompting him to slam down on a red button and call for backup. A security gate started to slide downwards, blocking the Boy Wonder’s route. “WayneTech override -- RG 4.” He slid under the now stalled security gate, racing after the Fog. ‘I only hope I can stop it somehow.’

* * *

Meanwhile, outside, Wonder Girl descended to kneel next to Superboy. “Are you alright?” The Kryptonian, still unable to stand, nodded weakly. As the Amazon stood up, fire alight in her eyes, she felt a hand wrap gently around her ankle. She looked down to see Superboy smirking up at her. “Remember how we talked about holding back? Not this time.” Wonder Girl nodded.

She turned her attention to the still distracted Ojo. “Hey ugly! You hurt my friend: it’s payback time!” For emphasis, she slammed her fist into her palm. ‘That was cheesy.’ The assassin merely sneered and powered up his simulacrum of heat vision once more. The beam lanced out, only to be caught by Wonder Girl’s crossed arms. Superboy and Ojo watched in amazement as the Amazon blocked the attack with her silver bracelets. The Kryptonian teen pulled himself into a squatting position and smirked. “Go get him.”

The blonde Amazon pushed forward, step by step, against the increasing surge of energy. Her invulnerability, while powerful, would have had a tough time standing up to this attack if it were not for her indestructible bracelets. Ojo, on his part, kept pouring on the heat vision, not caring about the power supply. Which promptly gave out after a few more seconds. As the beam sputtered and died, the shocked assassin looked at the now unmoving Amazon. A whoosh of wind blasted him in the face just before a strong fist smashed into his helmet and slammed him into the van.

Ojo collapsed with a grunt as Wonder Girl landed softly beside him. Superboy, now recovered and standing, walked up beside her. Looking over, she now realized that his shirt had been damaged by the attack. As a result, his upper chest and part of his abs were showing, much to the blonde’s delight. Superboy caught her staring, to which she responded with a shrug. “I understand Artemis now.”

* * *

Inside the building, Robin ran into the cafeteria, desperate to stop the Fog before it devoured WayneTech’s secrets. He plugged a connector cable into the register, praying softly to himself. “Please be linked to the mainframe, please be linked to the mainframe.” He pressed a few buttons to add WayneTech’s mainframe and its incredible processing power to the upload.

In just seconds, the results were extraordinary. All throughout the building, computer screens flashed red as the micro robots crawling around inside of them fizzled and dissolved harmlessly. Above Robin, the main cloud of Fog dissipated into red mist, then into nothingness. Whooping loudly, the Boy Wonder quipped, as usual. “Yes, the infiltrators have been outfiltrated!”

* * *

HAPPY HARBOR  
AUGUST 8, 23:02 EDT  
2020

Inside the internet café, Chesire continued to advance on Doctor Roquette. Fed up, the assassin reached out and grabbed Roquette by the collar. The doctor cried out in panic, her eyes flashing to the computer screen. Chesire, confused, looked over as well. At that moment, the progress bar finished completion and the computer chimed happily.

Turning back to the frightened doctor, Chesire was remarkably calm. “So you finished the virus. That changes things.” She shoved Roquette to the ground and sheathed her sai. As the assassin walked away, the terrified doctor spoke, against her better judgment. “What… what’s going on?”

Chesire turned around and chuckled. “I could kill you, but now it would just be for sport. And against my orders. The League may need you in the future, once more.” She turned back around and walked out of the café, leaving behind a highly confused doctor and unconscious Atlantean.

Outside, Chesire began to walk calmly back towards her fellow assassins, hoping to at least save Nyssa. Suddenly, four explosive arrows lodged in the pavement in front of her. The resulting explosion, set at the lowest possible yield, still generated an impressive cloud of smoke. Chesire’s mask was blown off, the assassin twisting around and covering her eyes. She heard a familiar voice behind her: “Don’t move a muscle.”

Artemis couldn’t believe it: she had Chesire on the ropes. The assassin known from Bangkok to Berlin as a deadly killer, a murderer. She drew her bow with satisfaction, ignoring the voice in her head that told her to shoot. It sounded remarkably like her father. Instead, she simply aimed the weighted, nonlethal arrow at the recovering assassin. Chesire stood up and turned around.

Then, the whole world seemed to stop. Artemis began to shake in fear: no…

“Wow. I’m completely at your mercy.”

Artemis gasped. There was no way, no way this was happening. Not today. “You. I thought you were dead.” Chesire laughed at that. “Me? Who told you that? Dad?” She smirked, but her eyes were alight with a blazing fire. “Of course he would say that. Lying seems to run in the family, right sis?”

Artemis couldn’t believe it: _she_ was alive, and a killer no less. Still, she couldn’t do it. Not to her own sister. She let go of the tension in her bow, placing the arrow back in her quiver. “I won’t fight you, not anymore.”

Her sister smirked. “Well then, I guess this is goodbye. And don’t worry: your secret is safe with me. Wouldn’t want you getting kicked off the team.” The dark-haired woman began to walk back slowly, smoke issuing from unseen pellets in her pockets. “And so, like the Cheshire cat, I’ll just… disappear.” When the smoke cleared, the assassin was gone, leaving her mask behind.

Artemis had only a few seconds to register what had just happened before Aqualad came stumbling out of the café, his arm perched around Doctor Roquette for support. “Artemis, where’s the assassin?” Artemis didn’t know how to respond for a second. What should she do? “She, uh… She got away.” A gust of wind buffeted her: of course, _he_ shows up now.

“Oh, from you? Oh, big surprise! We got ours at least.” Arsenal placed a firm hand on Wally’s shoulder. “That’s enough, Kid Flash. I didn’t get Nyssa.” Artemis whirled around, shocked by the elder archer’s revelation. Arsenal merely shrugged. “She’s the daughter of Ra’s al Ghul. I’m just happy that I was winning.” Still, Artemis couldn’t believe it: was Arsenal taking her side?

Wally groaned, but lightened up once he saw Chesire’s mask on the ground. “Cool. Souvenir.” Aqualad’s face lit up, excited by the prospect of learning Chesire’s identity. “Her mask?” He yanked out the darts in his chest, grunting loudly. “Did you see her face?”

Artemis stood facing away from the rest of the team, looking out over the water. “It was dark.” Aqualad was disappointed, but tried to stay positive. “It is fine. The Fog is neutralized, and Doctor Roquette is safe, thanks in no small part to you.” Artemis turned to face the Team’s leader, a faint smile on his lips. “Welcome to the Team, Artemis.” She couldn’t help but smile herself.

Aqualad and Arsenal both stepped forward, Aqualad shaking the younger archer’s hand. Arsenal, for his part, put his hand on her shoulder. “I’m sorry for doubting you earlier. I’m just… projecting my problems with GA onto you, and it’s not fair. You’re a fine archer.”

Artemis smirked, only to adopt a more neutral expression. “Well, I could still learn a thing or two. If you wouldn’t mind helping out… I mean, Green Arrow’s a great teacher, but…” Arsenal stopped her rambling by squeezing her shoulder. “I’d be happy to.”

Artemis smiled as brightly as she could. “Thanks!” Arsenal took a moment to elbow Wally in the stomach, who had walked up to stand in between him and Aqualad. The speedster groaned, but rolled his eyes and spoke. “Yeah, welcome.” The two, one a blonde archer and the other a redheaded speedster, shook hands with minimal enthusiasm. Arsenal leaned over to whisper to Aqualad: “This is going to end well.”

* * *

GOTHAM CITY  
AUGUST 9, 01:16 EDT  
2020

Artemis couldn’t believe the night she just had. She joined a team of young superheroes, helped to stop a superweapon that could have killed untold numbers of people, and made some new friends. Even Wally (apparently Kid Flash’s real name was Wally, so underwhelming) couldn’t ruin her night. Actually, after the masks were off and it was time to go home, the speedster wasn’t so bad. Robin had whispered something about a girl named Linda to the super-fast teen as they departed ahead of her. The redhead had actually blushed: it must have been either a girlfriend or crush, the archer had concluded. (When she thought of the girlfriend angle, something deep inside her had felt… sad in a way.)

Wally wasn’t the only Team member with romantic drama. Artemis had seen the way Aqualad had looked at the doctor, the nascent chemistry between them. He seemed to be drawn to her intelligence, while she was drawn to his charisma, calm persona, and most likely his body. Even Artemis, who realized Aqualad was like the big brother of the Team, found the Atlantean’s physique… attractive. But regardless, the blonde doctor had been escorted home by Aqualad, even though Arsenal lived in the same city. He just claimed that “he had somewhere else to be.”

Artemis stepped out of the abandoned phone booth in an alley just three blocks from her apartment. She had to program the Zeta-Tube beforehand, and waited until everyone else left so that she could make the journey home in peace. She took one sniff of that pungent Gotham air, the smells of the bay mixed with the odor of decay. ‘Home sweet home.’

As she took two more steps forward, she heard faint, almost nonexistent, breathing to her left. Moving without thinking, she snapped into a combat stance and nocked an arrow at the mysterious figure. “Step into the light.” Man, she felt like she had used all of her dad’s lessons in that exact moment. Her arms didn’t shake: she wasn’t afraid.

Of course, the figure that stepped into the light wasn’t the one she was expecting. For one thing, he was a lot taller. Arsenal chuckled a little. “Nice move. Almost made me believe you are Green Arrow’s niece, but we both know you’re not.” Before Artemis could even speak, Arsenal held up his hand. “I’m not here to judge, but did Ollie really expect me to believe that story?” Artemis looked puzzled: who the hell was Ollie?

Arsenal’s eyes narrowed behind his mask. “Wait, did he not…” Sighing, Roy looked in front of him and behind him. He knew the Justice League swept for cameras around the tubes regularly, but he wanted to be sure before he did something truly stupid. Satisfied with their level of privacy, Roy reached up and peeled off his domino mask. “My name is Roy Harper. Sound a little familiar?” Artemis shook her head: was that name supposed to mean something?

“How about Oliver Queen?” That name Artemis did know: who could forget the stories of the CEO of Queen Consolidated, the man who survived on an island in the North China Sea for five years? Gotham might be on the opposite coast of Star City, but its residents weren’t cut off from the world. She nodded hesitantly, not knowing what would happen next.

“Well, he’s the Green Arrow.” Blowing past Artemis’s complete shock, Roy took a step towards her. “He took me in since I was 15, trained me, and basically adopted me. So imagine my shock when I find out he has another sibling that he’s never talked about. He should have known better: I used to date his sister.” Artemis’s mouth was gaping at this point: Oliver Queen was the what? And Roy was his… son? ‘Whoa.’

“Why… did you tell me that?” Roy put his mask back on, hiding his piercing blue eyes. “I’m telling you this because you should know the man you’re fighting with, not just the mask he puts on every night.” Roy walked past her to the Zeta-Tube, but stopped a few steps short. “And you should know that just because someone was your birth father, they don’t have to define you. Family is important, but sometimes it’s not one of blood.” Roy let that revelation hang in the air as he stepped into the tube, powered it up, and went home.

For a good minute, Artemis stood there in shock. Not only did she know the names of both Arsenal and the Green Arrow, _Roy Harper_ knew who her family was. The truth that had been contained to Green Arrow and of course, Batman. She sighed and rubbed her forehead with the palm of her hand.

‘Maybe my family doesn’t have to define me. Maybe I have a new one forming, and I don’t even know it.’ All Artemis knew, was that this would be one crazy adventure.

* * *

MOUNT JUSTICE  
AUGUST 9, 01:20 EDT  
2020

Superboy, waking up from a brief jaunt in a special constructed yellow sun chamber to rejuvenate himself, padded out into the kitchen in his usual garb. Much to his surprise, Wonder Girl was sitting there in pajamas, nursing a cup of hot chocolate. At the sound of his heavy footfalls, the Amazon turned around, lighting up at the sight of the Kryptonian. “Hey, you’re awake!”

The Kryptonian nodded and rolled his neck to release some of the tension held there. “Yep, I’m awake alright.” He yawned and stretched his arms out, extending his senses out to find the others. Hearing no one else, he frowned and turned to Wonder Girl. “Where is everyone?”

Wonder Girl (‘Maybe I should ask her what her name is?’) extended a finger out for each person. “Well, in order, Roy had somewhere to be, Robin and Wally headed home, Kaldur escorted Doctor Roquette home, and Artemis was oddly quiet about her destination.” Superboy asked the most obvious follow-up question: “And what about you?"

Wonder Girl smiled even more brightly than before. “Well, since my mom is always traveling, Wonder Woman and Batman pulled some strings and got me into Happy Harbor High School. Even allowed me to keep my old name and everything. Apparently, I’m commuting from outside the city.” She paused and took a sip of cocoa, grimacing at the heat. “I think you’re going to that school too, right?”

Superboy nodded: they decided to let him live at the Cave full-time, since Clark and Lois’s apartment would be a bit cramped. Clark and Lois had put up a fight, but Batman (who seemed to know Lois quite well) had some good points. Superboy, if everything went as planned, would only live at home for two years then go to college. Why uproot Clark and Lois’s life just for two years? Conner had agreed, and thus here he was.

He was so deep in thought that he nearly missed Wonder Girl’s next question. “So, what’s your name? I mean, your secret identity or whatever?” Superboy looked at the blonde girl, who was actually hovering in anticipation. He smirked: she sure was excited to get into the hero business.

He stuck his hand out. “Conner Kent. And you?”

She took his hand and shook it firmly. “Cassandra Sandsmark. But you can call me Cassie.”

Conner smiled at Cassie. “Well, Cassie, it’s nice to meet you. It’ll be… nice to get to know you.”

* * *

INFINITY ISLAND  
AUGUST 9, 01:22 ECT  
2020

Sensei sat in his meditation room, his eyes closed as he waited for the conference call to go through. Seven screens, projected onto his walls, showed seven familiar figures that Sensei regularly spoke with: they were his employers, but the mighty Ra’s al Ghul was his master. The old warrior knew that these men and women were undoubtedly the most powerful individuals on the planet. Not even the Justice League could stop what they were setting in motion.

As the last screen came online, a very familiar voice spoke from the second screen. “Report.” Sensei held back a smile at his true master, a member of this prestigious band. ‘Of course he is. He is the Demon’s Head, an immortal.’ Still, Sensei kept his eyes closed, his legs folded in a lotus position. “Masters, before Ojo’s capture, he transmitted the STAR Labs data you required, but the WayneTech intel still eludes us.”

Ra’s was undoubtedly sneering as he spoke his next piece. “Once again, the young… heroes interfere. They have become an annoyance that must be dealt with.”

The figure from the first screen, armed with a gruff voice that had spoken throughout the ages, interjected. “With the STAR Labs data in our grasp, not even these heroes can stop us now. Project Mercury can proceed as planned, and then the Justice League will fall. For no one can stand against the Light.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next up is an original storyline, I promise! But more Arrow characters included in this one, plus a change in the Team’s lineup once more! I hoped you liked young Nyssa: she’s around Roy’s age, so 18 or early 19. Doctor Roquette is 20, just so you know, so a romance with the unusually mature Aqualad is not out of the question.
> 
> Anyways, as you can see, I changed some things up from the episode. Batman and Green Arrow team up, anyone? I really like the fact that in my universe at least, both have gone through traumatic events, and both came out heroes but kinda different. Also Doctor Roquette is much nicer in this, because I like nice people.
> 
> Wally and Artemis clashing isn’t new, but Roy not being mean to Artemis is. I imagine as members of Team Arrow, Roy will fill a big brother role in Artemis’s life, similar to Aqualad.
> 
> Also, Wonder Girl! I like Cassie: she’s brash, excited, and ready to throw down. Plus she understands Conner’s struggle to hold back against most villains, because Kryptonian strength and a lack of a Kansas farmboy upbringing will create some temptations to misuse that strength. A god among mortals, essentially, is gonna have a hard time relating to those mortals. So there’s that: expect more Conner and Cassie stuff.
> 
> And what could the STAR Labs data mean? It will become relevant in the next arc, which will have an overarching villain. If you have any idea of what it might be, then keep it out of the reviews, but feel free to message me!
> 
> Anyways, next up is “First Days” featuring two villains from the show as well!
> 
> P.S.: Merlyn and other DC characters that weren't necessarily in Young Justice (the show) will show up. I thought I'd namedrop Merlyn/al-Sahir for kicks, mostly because I loved him as Arrow's first big bad. He will stay closer to his comic version, though.


	9. First Days

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The end of summer has arrived, and with it comes the first day of school. The Team must reluctantly split up and attend different institutions to maintain their cover identities, all the while balancing their time with their heroic activities. What happens when a villain strikes during lunch hour?

**SECTION II: FIRST STEPS**

Chapter 9: First Days

* * *

MOUNT JUSTICE  
SEPTEMBER 7, 06:41 EDT  
2020

In the Cave’s massive generator room, a lone figure was kneeling next to a red motorcycle, caring for it with surprisingly gentle hands. One of the many things that the genomorphs had taught him was basic engineering, and a side effect of those lessons meant that Superboy had a need to tinker. Not with fancy gadgets like Robin, or advanced science stuff like Wally. He had a simpler, some (‘Lois’) would say even primal, urge to work with basic machines. Hence, the motorcycle. Clark had given it to him (with League money, Batman pointed out) as a late “birthday” present.

Conner had spent nearly four days with the thing now, bettering it with his own two hands. Robin and Wally had donated some gizmos, but the young Kryptonian was proud to say that the only two hands that had touched the motorcycle since he got it were his own. Something that a fellow resident of the Cave mocked incessantly.

“So, you making sure that motorcycle loves you as much as you love it?” Wonder Girl glided into the room, followed by Red Tornado and Aqualad on foot. Much to Superboy’s surprise, the Amazon was dressed in civvies, a short sleeve red shirt and white shorts with white sneakers. Conner opened his mouth to respond, only to be interrupted by the whir of the Zeta-Tube powering up. “Recognized: Superman, 0-1.” Clark, still in his uniform, floated in after being transported.

“Sorry, sorry, got stuck with a fire. Did I miss anything?” Conner grinned as his father (‘wow, it’s great to be able to say that’) landed next to him. His ultra-sensitive nose picked up traces of smoke still lingering on Superman’s skin and uniform, but the clone said nothing. He was just happy Clark made it.

Wonder Girl smiled at Superman. “Hey Superman.” She had met Conner’s “father” not long after her induction to the Team, even “working out” with the Man of Steel in the Cave’s specialized weight room. She had lost every weight-lifting challenge, her reactions amusing the clone who had watched each one with a keen eye. He wouldn’t admit it, but Cassie was definitely strong enough to keep up with him for a while, his Kryptonian genetics giving him just a tad more strength than the Amazon.

Clark (who was just Superman to Cassie) smiled back. “Hello Cassie. Excited for your first day?” Wonder Girl just shrugged. “It’s my eleventh ‘first day.’ They kind of blend together after a while. Excited to see the school, I guess.” Clark nodded and turned to his son, who looked… puzzled? No, conflicted. Superman laid a hand on his clone’s shoulder and spoke softly. “You’ll do fine. It can’t be worse than what I went through.” He leaned in closer and whispered into Superboy’s ear. “Just remember, you’re not better than them, you _are_ one of them.”

Conner nodded and tried to flash Superman a confident grin. Meanwhile, Aqualad handed Cassie her backpack, an old red monstrosity from years past. Conner’s, on the other hand, was simple, new, and most importantly black. Superboy seemed to like the color almost as much as red. Conner thanked Kaldur with a smile as he leaned over to rev up his motorcycle. They had already agreed that Conner and Cassie would arrive separately, Cassie by car and Conner by bike. They each had driver’s licenses and registered vehicles, courtesy of some first-class hacking by Robin.

However, just as Conner was ready to mount his bike and drive off, Kaldur cleared his throat. “Um, Conner, you may wish to… change before you depart.” Superboy frowned, looking to him and Superman for answers. The elder Kryptonian just pointed to the S-symbol on his chest. “Can’t be giving away your identity.” Grumbling, Superboy took off his shirt and turned it inside out. Cassie suddenly became much more interested in the Kryptonian, remembering the aftermath of the fight with Ojo. ‘He’s so… muscly. Not like that weasel Pat Buchanan. Ugh, I can’t even believe I dated someone like him.’

Conner grumbled something about secret identities as he put his shirt back on. Benefit of custom-made T-shirts: no tags to tuck in. Unless someone was touching the shirt, they wouldn’t be able to tell it was inside out. Cassie regained her sense of decency right about then, engaging Aqualad in a conversation about literally anything else.

“So, Kaldur, how’s it going with you know who?” The Atlantean smiled a little bit and rubbed the back of his neck. “It’s… going well. I’m actually taking her to brunch and an art gallery opening today. Benefits of having completed my education, I guess.” Cassie nodded: in fact, if he hadn’t said his actual age, the Amazon would have guessed Kaldur to be at least 19 or 20. ‘Atlanteans must grow differently than regular humans.’

Conner revved up his engine, drawing everyone’s attention to him. “Well, guys, see you later. Cassie, see you in a few.” He almost got away before Superman stopped him. “Helmet, young man. Safety first.” Conner muttered something about Kryptonian invulnerability, but nevertheless complied. He put the helmet Superman had handed him on without a struggle. After that, he shot off, up the ramp, and out towards Happy Harbor.

Cassie turned to Aqualad and gave him a hug. “Good luck bro. You got this.” Without another word, Cassie flew out after Superboy, heading towards the car parked in the town at a certain League ally’s home. In fact, he was a teacher at the high school himself, but knew the League from his… younger days.

Superman had tears in his eyes, much to both Red Tornado’s and Aqualad’s surprise. “They grow up so fast.”

* * *

GOTHAM CITY  
SEPTEMBER 7, 06:00 EDT  
2020

An alarm clock continued to buzz, set on a nightstand between two twin beds. To the left of the nightstand, a figure stirred deep within the blankets of the twin bed. A tan hand reached out to turn off the alarm, a blonde head groaning but nevertheless exiting the fortress created by the purple blankets. Artemis’s grey eyes narrowed at the sunlight streaming in through the apartment’s windows, but once they adjusted to the light, she looked directly across the room.

A picture of a scene from _Alice in Wonderland_ hung on the wall opposite her. The Chesire cat looked on the confused Alice with its trademark smile. Artemis sat in those blankets, staring at the picture that brought back so many memories of a different time. Back when Mom could walk, when her sister was still alive. Then, she ran away, never to be heard from again. At least, until last month. The sight of her sister… Chesire was almost too much to bear.

Artemis hadn’t told her mother. She couldn’t bear to put her through the grief and agony of losing a child again. Especially considering her sister’s line of work. Paula Crock had left that behind: she would be appalled at losing her daughter to that same darkness she had lived in for so many years. So, like many people in Artemis’s life, her mother was kept in the dark.

Someone rapped their knuckles against Artemis’s bedroom door. “Artemis, get up. I don’t want you late for your first day. Especially since it’s at Gotham Academy.” Artemis groaned, getting up from her bed with all the enthusiasm of someone going to prison. Despite her hatred for school (like any teenager), a small part of Artemis was excited: she was going to _Gotham Academy!_

The prestigious school was far nicer than her previous one, Gotham North, having extensive private funding from a variety of wealthy donors. Artemis was sad to be leaving behind her friends at Gotham North, but she had a good feeling about Gotham Academy. Besides, she had a full ride, courtesy of the Wayne Foundation. She didn’t even know she was eligible for the scholarship, but apparently it was one of those things you didn’t apply for. (Her mom said that, but Artemis was still a little suspicious. How did they even get her information?)

Anyways, as Artemis began to get ready, she pulled open her closet door and looked at her uniform. ‘Guess I’ll be wearing two uniforms now.’

Green Arrow had told her that she should bring the other one as well, just in case. Once he found out that Roy had told her about his identity, he had introduced her to his full team. She had been going on patrols in Star a few nights a week now, aided by Oliver, John, and of course Felicity on coms. She liked Felicity: the other blonde seemed to understand what she was going through. “I’ve had… issues with my father too. Like, big, law-related issues.” After overcoming the shock of Felicity finding out about her family’s history, Artemis had agreed to go on a spa day with Felicity. ‘I may be a bow-wielding vigilante, but it’ll be fun.’

Twenty minutes later, after a quick shower and breakfast, Artemis was out the door with a green duffel bag in tow. ‘Time to go to school.’

* * *

Artemis felt so… out of place at Gotham Academy. It seemed more suited for the sons and daughters of titans of industry, tech moguls, and celebrities; not the daughter of one reformed super-criminal and a still-active mercenary. Still, she stood in the middle of one of the spacious courtyards on campus (‘there’s actually a campus, ugh’) and waited for her orientation advisor. Artemis absentmindedly tugged down on her skirt and looked at the sheet of paper in her hand. ‘Bette Kane. Must be a guidance counselor or something.’

“Artemis? Artemis Crock?” The blonde looked up from the paper to see another girl looking right at her. Artemis couldn’t help but notice how pretty she was, from her blue eyes to fair complexion and beautifully sculpted golden hair. “Yeah, I’m Artemis.” The girl smiled (‘perfect teeth, of course’) and held out her hand. “I’m Bette Kane. I’m your orientation advisor. Welcome to Gotham Academy.”

Artemis noticed that Bette had a surprisingly firm grip as they shook hands. She even noticed some callouses and scars on her hands and exposed forearms. ‘That’s interesting.’ Bette caught her staring and smiled. “Sorry if that’s distracting. I got into boxing after a few bad scraps on my way home. I see you’ve got some of your own.”

Artemis pulled away suddenly, her eyes widening. ‘Wait, what does she know?’ Bette looked alarmed, but realized her mistake. “It’s okay, I’m betting you didn’t exactly grow up with a silver spoon in your mouth like everyone else here.” The withering tone when Bette spoke of their classmates made her views on the wealthy quite apparent.

Artemis spoke frankly, as usual. “So, I’m guessing you’re not the daughter of some millionaire then?” Bette laughed a little, grinning at Artemis’s bluntness. “Yeah, I’m actually from Blüdhaven, but I commute here every day. Much as I’d like to stick it to these rich assholes, the school is a lot better than the one back home.” Artemis nodded. She liked this girl, a lot.

“So Bette, you going to show me around or--” A younger boy with black hair and blue eyes ran up to Artemis, pulled her in close, and took a selfie. As the blonde rubbed out her eyes from the flash, the boy left, his words floating back to the pair of girls behind him. “We’ll laugh about this someday.” His laugh reminded Artemis of someone she knew, but she just couldn’t place it.

Artemis looked to Bette with an eyebrow raised. “Who was that?”

Bette sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. “That’s Dick Grayson. You know, Bruce Wayne’s adopted son. He’s just a freshman, so it doesn’t matter who he is. Come on, let’s show you around.” Artemis smiled and walked off with Bette, unaware of the twin blue eyes watching her as she did so.

Bette’s phone chimed in her pocket, prompting her to come to a halt just a few seconds after they started to enter the school. “Sorry. I’ve got to silence it, they’re so old fashioned about phones in school.” Artemis nodded, her curiosity getting the better of her as she glanced over at Bette’s phone screen. ‘Roy Harper? Wait a minute, what?!’

Nonchalantly, Artemis thrust her hands into her pockets. “Who’s texting you at 7:30 in the morning anyways?” Bette actually _blushed_ before answering. “It’s just my… boyfriend is too strong of a word. He’s a guy I’ve met… a couple of times.” The only thing Artemis could think of at that moment was the tall redhead with blue eyes in that alleyway a month ago.

‘What a small world we live in.’

* * *

HAPPY HARBOR  
SEPTEMBER 7, 07:58 EDT  
2020

Conner’s motorcycle drew a lot of heads as he pulled into the school’s parking lot. The Kryptonian smirked as he put down the kickstand and got off his incredibly sweet ride. As if by magic, Cassie appeared to his right, grinning broadly. “Beat you here, again.” Conner groaned: “You cheated. Next time, no flying.” Cassie mock pouted, the expression eliciting another groan from her super-powered friend. “But that takes all the fun out of it.”

The two continued their banter as they walked towards the school entrance. Conner donned his classic leather jacket (well, a replacement from Clark; the battle with Mister Twister had destroyed the last one) as they walked. Cassie rolled her eyes. “Could you be any less of a stereotype right now?” Conner, who had been catching up on classic movies and pop culture, just smirked at his blonde companion. However, his mood quickly soured as soon as they saw the other students. ‘Of course.’

Most of the boys were wearing superhero T-shirts. Several were even wearing Superman T-shirts. ‘Why did I have to change?’ Suddenly, from his right, a boy came barreling towards him on a skateboard. Conner turned too late to see him coming, meaning the boy collided with what was effectively a brick wall. The Kryptonian didn’t even flinch, whereas the boy crumpled, his skateboard flying away… until Cassie snatched it a second later.

The impressive display from the two newcomers drew a lot of attention, but Conner ignored it in exchange for helping the poor kid up. “You okay?” The boy, wearing a dorky skateboarding helmet and kneepads over his jeans and Superman T-shirt, looked up at the terrifying big teenager holding his hand out. The skateboarder took it, stammering out a reply. “I’m fine. You good?”

Conner frowned: of course he was fine, he’d been hit harder… Oh yeah, secret identity. “Yeah, I’ve been hit harder on the field.” The kid, as well as a tall, muscular African-American male listening in, lit up. “Oh, you play football?”

Cassie jumped in at that point. “Actually, he was just telling me how he can’t, on account of knee problems.” Conner silently thanked Cassie for the quick save. ‘They can’t ask too many questions.’ He looked at the short, scrawny kid in front of him. “What’s your name, by the way?”

The kid held out a shaky hand. “Marvin White.” The disguised Superboy smiled as softly as he could manage. “Conner Kent. Nice to meet you Marvin.” The other boy smiled and moved on, nursing a sore rear from his fall. As Conner turned back to Cassie, he felt a firm hand grasp her shoulder. Working on instinct, he nearly turned and slugged the offender in the gut, only to be held back by Cassie. Her strength gave him enough pause not to shatter the kid’s ribcage. ‘Thanks again Cassie. I owe you dinner after this.’

The boy, the African-American Conner noticed before, gave him a weird look, like he was trying to scan him with X-ray vision. The intense gaze softened after a few seconds, but he still had a serious expression when he spoke, his voice a deep baritone. “Look, thanks for looking out for Marvin. I’m Mal Duncan.” Conner shook Mal’s outstretched hand. “Conner Kent. No problem.”

Mal nodded to Conner, walking off with a girl in tow. The girl was wearing a cheerleading uniform, leading Conner to believe that between that and the teen’s impressive, if still human, physique, Mal was probably a football player. ‘Explains his interest from before.’

A familiar and feminine voice, but distinctly not Cassie’s, brought him out of his thoughts. “Conner?” The dark-haired teen turned to face a familiar face. “Tana. It’s good to see you again.” Tana’s cheeks darkened as she looked away for a second. Conner could feel his own cheeks burning, but tried to keep his focus on the beautiful girl in front of him. “So… you excited for school?”

Tana looked back up into Conner’s eyes, her lips curling upwards in a smile. “Yeah, I guess.” A pregnant pause hung in the air for a few seconds before she continued. “Listen, I was wondering--” The bell rang just then, cutting her off. “Oh, we should probably get to class. See you at lunch, maybe?” Conner gave her a hesitant smile, stammering a little. “Yeah, yeah, definitely.”

Tana gave him one last bright smile before walking off, leaving the clone behind to try and process what just happened. An elbow slammed roughly into his ribs, actually causing him a bit of pain. Conner grunted and looked over to his super-powered friend, who was grinning. “You didn’t tell me you were such a player, Conner.”

Conner frowned. “But I’m not.” Cassie rolled her eyes before interjecting. “Whatever man. She was really into you. Maybe you should ask her out sometime.”

Conner just looked back at the school doors again. ‘Maybe Cassie’s right.’ Regardless, now wasn’t the time for that. It was time to go to school.

* * *

GOTHAM CITY  
SEPTEMBER 7, 11:58 EDT  
2020

Of course, Dick got the call in the middle of Mister Johnson’s class. ‘I’m so going to pay Bruce back for this.’ The thirteen-year-old raised his hand and asked to be excused to go to the bathroom. The geriatric English teacher just mumbled something, which Dick took as a yes, promptly running out of the room. Instead of ducking into the bathroom, he found his way to the supply closet Batman had swept for bugs daily. Entering the musty room, the Boy Wonder turned and locked the door behind him, automatically activating the noise dampeners and motion detectors installed. No one would listen in on this conversation.

A holographic display opened up from his wristwatch, Batman appearing on-screen. He appeared to be in the Batplane, but Robin wasn’t sure where he was going. “Bruce, what’s up?”

Batman typed in something on his end, the screen splitting to show a feed from a Leaguer’s body cam. It was Green Arrow, showing him firing explosive arrows at a strange being. It was clearly non-human, evidenced by its gray skin tone and odd movements. With a start, Robin realized that it was an android, similar in design to those of T.O. Morrow or Professor Ivo.

“About thirty minutes ago, a new menace attacked Green Arrow and Black Canary outside of Star City. It’s an android, apparently capable of studying, then duplicating the powers and abilities of its opponents.” Robin saw that firsthand, as the android’s mouth opened up and emitted a scream very much like Black Canary’s, knocking Green Arrow back and destroying his camera.

Batman continued with his briefing. “Other Leaguers are en route now to try and stop it, but I need the Team today as well.” Robin’s heart soared: a League-Team team up? ‘This is too good to be true.’

Which of course it was. “Ten minutes ago, facial recognition picked up a match in the warehouse district in Gotham.” The screen switched to display CCTV footage outside a WayneTech warehouse at the docks. Two figures were entering a warehouse, wearing typical maintenance outfits but leaving their faces uncovered. Their names were displayed in a box next to their faces: Tommy and Tuppence Terror. ‘The Terror Twins in Gotham, just as the League is battling a new android across the country?’

“This can’t be a coincidence. Not after the failure of the League of Assassins to steal from WayneTech last month.” Batman nodded after Robin’s assessment. “Agreed. However, no Leaguers are able to take care of the threat: all hands are on deck for the android situation. So, I need the Team to mobilize and handle the Terror Twins.”

Robin, against his better judgment, smiled a little at that. “It’s time for a jailbreak then. I’ll contact them.” Batman nodded. “Start with Aqualad. Then once everyone is assembled, Zeta to our tube at the Gotham docks.”

Robin nodded in response and moved to close the feed. Batman made him pause with a sincere tone. “Dick, be careful.” The fatherly concern in his voice was unmistaken: the Dark Knight was worried about his son. “Don’t worry Bruce: I’ve got the best team in the world.”

As Robin closed the video chat, he smirked. ‘Guess I have to ruin someone’s date.’

* * *

STAR CITY  
SEPTEMBER 7, 09:02 PDT  
2020

Aqualad had just knocked on Serling’s door when his communicator went off. Groaning, the Atlantean pulled the device from his pocket and placed it inside his ear. “Aqualad here.”

“Aqualad, it’s Robin. Look, I know this is a bad time…” No kidding: the Atlantean was in semi-formal wear, carrying flowers, and about to take a beautiful woman to brunch. It couldn’t be any worse. “But Batman has an important mission for us. In Gotham. Sorry.”

Aqualad sighed. “Alright, I will rendezvous with Superboy and Wonder Girl at the Cave, then meet you in Gotham. Send me the coordinates.” The Boy Wonder responded in the affirmative before closing the line. Kaldur sighed once more and looked at the bouquet in his hands. ‘So close.’

At that moment, Serling, dressed in nothing but a bathrobe, opened the door. Her still-wet hair smelled of the ocean to Kaldur, even from this distance. ‘Oh my…’ “Kaldur! You’re here… early. Come on in, I just got out of the shower.” She paused for a second, taking in the seriousness of the Atlantean’s expression. “What’s wrong?”

With a gentle touch, Kaldur pressed the bouquet into his date’s hands. “I am sorry Serling, but something has come up. The Team needs me.” Her face fell noticeably, her expression reflecting her disappointment. “Oh.”

Kaldur tried to smile warmly and placed his hand over hers. “How about dinner tonight instead?” The young doctor brightened a little after that. “Yes, that sounds great. Pick me up at 8?” The Atlantean nodded, before kissing her gently on the lips.

“I shall be here.” He left the doctor flustered and clutching a bouquet of tulips as he strode down the hallway, opening a channel to Roy. “Arsenal, suit up. Batman…”

* * *

GOTHAM CITY  
SEPTEMBER 7, 12:15 EDT  
2020

Artemis silently thanked whatever gods might exist that it was finally lunchtime. She was absolutely famished: she had gotten too used to a summer schedule, waking up late and eating late. Her stomach seemed to cry out for food, grumbling loudly every five seconds.

She was about to enter the lunchroom when she felt her phone buzz. Against school policy, she checked it quickly: a text from Robin. _Suit up, Batman has a mission_. Artemis looked around to see if any teachers were around. Seeing none, she discretely shifted course and began walking towards the athletics facilities. She had stashed her bag in a locker there provided for her gym class.

Artemis took about five minutes to change into her vigilante uniform, making sure that no one would see her. She ducked out of the back door in the locker room, making her way across campus the only way she could: on the rooftops. Just as she made it to the last one and nocked a grappling arrow, a voice startled her.

“Artemis?” Stumbling a little, the archer whirled around to see the Boy Wonder standing on the rooftop smirking at her. ‘What is he doing… Wait a minute, this is his city, not mine. Damn.’ “Robin, I, uh…”

The younger teen crossed his arms and chuckled a little. “How random that you’re in Gotham City, instead of Star City where your uncle Green Arrow lives.” The tone in his voice indicated that he knew something about her, but Artemis was quick to try and cover her bases.

“I’m actually… visiting my cousin. Yeah, she was in the state spelling bee. Here, in Gotham. Which is a lot nicer than I thought it was supposed to be, cause… I’ve never been here before.” ‘Ugh, I sound like a complete moron. Better that, though, than the truth.’

Robin just smirked. “C-O-O-L. Did she W-I-N?” Okay, now his attitude was just pissing her off. “N-O.” Artemis spoke with all the venom she could muster, which of course didn’t even faze Robin. “D-R-A-G.”

After that awkward encounter, Artemis was quick to move on. “So what’s the mission Batman wants us on?” Robin’s smirk vanished, replaced by a serious expression clearly inherited from Batman’s teachings. “The Terror Twins were spotted down at the docks. We’re to investigate and stop them from whatever they’re doing.”

Artemis nodded and nocked her grappling arrow. “Wait, Artemis, what are you doing? You don’t know where to go.” Without thinking, Artemis answered. “Yeah, I do. The docks are south of here.”

Robin’s next remark nearly made her fall off the roof. “But I thought you hadn’t been to Gotham before?”

* * *

HAPPY HARBOR  
SEPTEMBER 7, 12:17 EDT  
2020

After lunch, Conner walked to his next class: World History with Mister Carr. The hero smiled to himself as he remembered his first meeting with the history teacher. Apparently, in high school, the teacher had found his way into the League’s Secret Sanctuary, eventually gaining most of the members’ trust (surprisingly, even Batman seemed to like him). He had helped Conner and Cassie get into the high school and get acclimated to life in Happy Harbor. ‘So hopefully his class should be enjoyable.’

As they filed in, most of the class already knew what to expect. Apparently, Lucas “Snapper” Carr had also taught AP Government the prior year, and most of the honors kids were in that class as well. Conner, on the other hand, looked desperately for the one familiar face in the room. Cassie beamed at him from the third row, an empty seat open next to her. Unconsciously, the tall Kryptonian gravitated towards his friend, until another person beckoned to him.

Tana Moon, the girl who made the Superboy’s invulnerable insides twist inside out, smiled bashfully. Conner looked between her and Cassie, his eyes pleading with the Amazon for an answer. Cassie’s face fell for a moment, but she regained most of her optimism and waved her friend on. Conner smiled, a rare instance, and went to sit with Tana. Little did he know that a certain blonde was staring after him, feeling something that she just couldn’t place.

Conner pulled out the chair next to Tana, seated in the second row and on the right of the room. He smiled nervously, quickly reciprocated by his crush. (‘Okay, maybe just… object of affection?’) “Hey Tana. It’s good to see you again.” ‘Ugh, was that too much? Too tacky?’

To his surprise, she just laughed. “It’s good to see you too, Conner. So listen, about this morn--”

“Sorry I’m late guys, but class starts… _now_.” Lucas flashed the students a smile as he put a binder down on his desk and snatched the TV remote. “So I know that we’re supposed to be studying world history, and we traditionally start at the beginning, but it’s important to remember the present too.” On cue, the TV flashed to life, tuning into GBS News. Conner recognized the reporter: Cat Grant, a hard-hitting journalist who had previously worked for the Daily Planet. He had actually met her at a social event with Clark and Lois. ‘Should I call them Mom and Dad?’

Cat was speaking in front of what looked like a conference hall. “Ladies and gentlemen, I’m reporting in from Beijing, where multilateral talks which included the United States, Russia, China, and Japan have finally achieved their goal. In approximately two months, under the auspices of the United Nations, the leaders of North and South Rhelasia will meet for the first time in history. The bilateral talks will be hosted in Taipei, deemed neutral ground by both parties. While it is unclear what the exact focus on these talks will be, many hope that reunification will be on the table.”

Mr. Carr clicked the TV off and turned to his class. “Can anyone tell me more about Rhelasia?” At that moment, Marvin burst into the room, panting from his run to the classroom. The teacher tried desperately to hide a grin as he looked at the tardy student. “Ah, a volunteer. Marvin, what can you tell me about Rhelasia?” The boy stammered for a moment, caught off-guard by the question. Sure, he was smart, but history wasn’t his subject. He liked physics, math: not learning about boring stuff from the past. So, he tried to defuse the situation with a little humor: “Well, Mister Carr, it’s better than fake Asia.”

Even Lucas smiled at that, if only a little. Half the class chuckled nervously, more at Marvin than at his joke. The history teacher waved Marvin into the room, while looking around the class for a better answer. “Anyone else?” Conner raised his hand and spoke in a monotone, subconsciously accessing the database implanted into his brain by the psychic G-Gnomes. “Modern Rhelasia was created in 1855 and ruled by the Bokun dynasty until it was divided by the great powers into North and South Rhelasia after World War Two.” He paused for a moment, noticing an uneasy silence settling in over the classroom. Looking around, the Kryptonian realized that everyone, with the exception of Cassie and Mister Carr, was staring directly at him in shock. ‘Wait, that wasn’t normal, was it? Damn.’

Mr. Carr simply smiled and nodded. “Very good.” Conner tried to move past his odd behavior and asked a question. “But why have they been fighting? They’re all humans.” ‘Yeah, way to call attention to the fact that you’re an alien-human hybrid. Not that they know that.’ “I mean, Rhelasians. Right?” The teacher, well aware of Conner’s heritage, smiled and nodded. “Right on both counts, actually.”

As Lucas turned to face the board, Tana whispered to Conner. “That was… amazing. How’d you know all that stuff?” Conner, still uneasy after his instant recall of East Asian history, grinned sheepishly. “I guess I… read a lot.” Suddenly, a high-pitched pinging started to go off. The Kryptonian suppressed a grimace and looked over to Cassie. She raised her hand high into the air, shouting out at the same time. Marvin, sitting right next to her, gave her an interesting look. “Mister Carr, I need to go to the bathroom.”

Lucas turned around to see a very determined look in Cassie’s eyes. Conner saw it too, just as he recognized where the sound was coming from. It was Cassie’s watch: it emitted a frequency only Kryptonians could hear. ‘Something with the Team, then.’ Conner had to leave. Now.

His hand also shot up. “Me too.” The teacher regarded both with an air of amusement before waving them away. “Go. Don’t bother with a hall pass: they’re useless anyways.” Both heroes nodded and walked as calmly as possible to the door, watched curiously by everyone in class. Conner could hear them whispering, something about “hooking up in school.” He grimaced and turned back to wave bye to Tana, who looked… hurt? ‘I’ll have to explain something to her.’

As soon as they closed the door behind them, both teens walked a bit faster to the roof access door. They had been given a duplicate key by Mr. Carr, who understood that they might need to leave in a hurry for missions and such. Conner winced as the continued pinging reverberated through his ears. “Hey Cassie, you mind shutting that thing off?” Wonder Girl stumbled a bit, clearly lost in thought. “Oh yeah, sure.” The high-pitched noise cut off mercifully soon after.

“So, I know I’m already in costume, but you need to get back to the Cave. Not to mention we’ve got to Zeta to somewhere.” Cassie nodded as they walked up to the roof access door. Once they entered the dingy stairwell, both ran up the stairs, Conner following the blonde heroine. “Yep. Gotham: apparently some big bads are there while the League is fighting in Star. Some kind of android, I think? Robin couldn’t really explain over text.”

About ten seconds later, the door to the roof banged open as Superboy put a little too much force into his push. He winced a little as the sound resonated through the surrounding area. Suddenly, he no longer felt the ground beneath his feet, wind blowing into his face. Cassie had picked him up and taken off, his weight nothing compared to her immense strength. He tried to complain, but she cut him off before he could say a word.

“No time for complaining. I know you prefer your jumping, but not today.” So Superboy pressed his lips tightly together as Wonder Girl took off at high speeds for the imposing mountain in the distance.

* * *

GOTHAM CITY  
SEPTEMBER 7, 12:40 EDT  
2020

Wonder Girl, now dressed in her uniform, stepped out of the disguised Zeta-Tube first, her nose scrunching up at the distinct smell of fish and waste wafting through the alley. “You think it’s bad for you, just imagine what Kryptonian senses can pick up.” Superboy, to his credit, looked completely normal as he walked up next to Wonder Girl. The Zeta-Tube in question was located in an alley near Gotham’s warehouse district, disguised as a service door.

“Welcome to Gotham.” The two wheeled around to see Robin, Artemis, Aqualad, and Arsenal all standing next to a row of foul smelling dumpsters. The Boy Wonder was grinning a little too widely: he was excited to be out of school. Aqualad wore a somber look instead: Wonder Girl remembered now, he had a date with Doctor Roquette today. ‘Aw man. I feel bad for him.’ Arsenal and Artemis looked miffed, too, but Wonder Girl couldn’t figure out why.

In a streak of yellow lightning, Kid Flash zoomed up to the group. “Sorry about that. Got off on the wrong Zeta Tube, had to run from across town.” Robin chuckled at his friend’s antics: this wasn’t the first time Wally had forgotten where to go for a mission. According to Batman, Flash was the same way. The speedster ripped open one of his specialized high-calorie snack bars and leaned up against the alley wall. His loud chewing disgusted Artemis, who groaned and walked as far from the redhead as possible.

Superboy brusquely crossed his arms and looked at the smallest member of the Team. “Why are we here Robin?” The Boy Wonder’s smile faded a little at the Kryptonian’s annoyed tone. ‘What’s up with him?’ Nevertheless, Robin opened up his holographic computer. A picture of two blondes, one male and one female, wearing blue coveralls appeared on screen. Superboy, unfamiliar with most supervillains, asked the question first. “Who’s that?”

Aqualad spoke up. “Tommy and Tuppence Terror. A pair of super-criminals that the League stopped after a reign of… terror across five Southern states. They escaped from custody, however, two months ago and have not been seen since.” Robin took over from there, having been scanning the footage for the last few minutes. “WayneTech security cameras picked them up entering a warehouse here in Gotham. Security there might be good, but it’s not that good. It’ll be a disaster.”

Superboy nodded and turned to the Team’s leader. “So what’s the plan?” The Atlantean pointed to him and Cassie. “You two will distract the Terror Twins while we clear the facility. Be warned: they were able to go toe-to-toe with the League for some time. Do not get in over your head.” Superboy tensed up at that: ‘I’m Kryptonian. I can’t be stopped, not by humans.’ Wonder Girl thought the same. ‘How could they beat me? I’m almost as strong as Superboy. No genetic freaks are going to take me down.’

Both almost spoke up, but were interrupted by Aqualad. “Now, Kid Flash and Artemis, you’re on crowd control. Get those workers out of the combat zone, then rendezvous with the rest of the Team.” The archer and speedster glared at each other with barely restrained anger, the speedster’s body actually producing a spark of electricity. Aqualad continued his briefing as if nothing was happening.

“Arsenal, Robin, you’re with me. We need to secure several prototypes before the Terror Twins can steal or destroy them. Robin, you’ve been briefed on the prototypes, so you will lead the retrieval mission.” The Boy Wonder, his face now stern in a manner not unlike his mentor’s, nodded and pulled up a holographic readout of the components. “All of these components are part of a larger system, one that could be used to hack just about any system in the world. We call it the Skeleton Key.”

Artemis frowned. “We? Who’s we?” Robin’s eyes widened just a little before he managed to calm down. No one noticed besides Wally and Conner, their superhuman perceptions allowing them to pick up on minute ticks on Robin’s face. However, unlike Kid Flash, Superboy had no idea why Batman’s protégé was so upset. He just shrugged and tuned out, using his hearing to try and locate his targets.

“Never mind. The point is we can’t let the Terror Twins get their hands on this. Not so soon after we stopped the Fog.” The whole Team nodded, even the noticeably distracted Superboy. They would not fail.

Aqualad looked at each of his teammates, the cool intensity of his gaze never faltering. “Let’s go.”

* * *

Superboy and Wonder Girl pushed open the unlocked door without a care in the world. They weren’t looking to sneak around: their job was to be noticed. And they would not disappoint.

The warehouse was packed with technologies of all shapes and sizes, but Superboy didn’t focus on the machines. He dedicated all of his extraordinary senses to finding abnormal heartbeats, thermal signatures, even breathing patterns. His brain, psychically formatted by Cadmus to work as efficiently as possible, scoured through the sensory information for clues. Wonder Girl, not possessing Superboy’s wide range of powers, instead settled for contacting the rest of the Team. She put her hand to her ear. “Alright, we’re in. You’re good to go.”

On the other side of the warehouse, a certain speedster nodded and turned to face his companion. Much to his dismay, Artemis was standing there without a care in the world. Slouched against the wall, she clearly wasn’t focused at all. “Earth to Artemis.” Now the archer’s eyes narrowed, her head pivoting to allow her gaze to fall on Wally. The teenage boy held back a shudder: she could be downright scary when she wanted to be. “What?”

“I need you to watch this entrance and make sure the path is clear for me. I can only carry one person at a time, so it’ll take time. Even for me.” Kid Flash snapped his googles down over his eyes and activated the thermal vision. Much to his dismay, he counted thirteen heat signatures besides Cassie and Conner. ‘That means eleven to carry out, while avoiding two very strong, very bad guys. This should be fun.’

Forcing himself to relax, the speedster took a deep breath and got into a classic starting position. A second later, Artemis huffed. “What are you waiting for? A theme song?” In a brilliant flash of lightning, the speedster was off, navigating the labyrinth of shelving to scoop up the first worker. Just seconds later, he had deposited the redheaded woman down on the street outside, zooming back into the warehouse afterwards.

Even Artemis had to admit that Wally was pretty damn amazing when he let loose. She could barely make out his form as a yellow blur, further streaked with similarly colored lightning, whizzed past her position at hundreds of miles an hour. The archer was still getting used to people with powers, so watching Kid Flash run definitely qualified as one of the weirdest, yet coolest, things she’d ever seen. ‘Not that he’ll ever know that. He would be insufferable.’

On his ninth trip in, Wally zoomed towards a heat signature only to realize that it was abnormal. ‘He’s running too hot. No…’ Before he could stop himself, the speedster slammed into what felt like a brick wall. He barely managed to react as a giant hand reached down to grab him before he hit the ground. Twisting out of the way, Kid Flash put a hand to his comlink. “Guys, we’ve got a problem. I may need some help.”

The somewhat familiar sound of knuckles popping came from behind the speedster. Spinning around, he came face to face with a blond-haired giantess. “Hun, you’ve got no idea.” Kid Flash gulped: the Terror Twins had him surrounded. ‘I’m really in trouble now.’

* * *

Superboy’s eyes flashed open as he finally figured out where the Twins were. “They’ve got Wally! Come on!” He sprinted forward, charging towards Wally’s position at nearly eighty miles an hour. Not possessing a speedster’s precise control, the Kryptonian clone nearly crashed into three shelves, but finally made it to the aisle where the Terror Twins were. He found them standing menacingly over Wally’s prone form.

Conner’s stomach twisted and turned as the boy (‘Tommy, right?’) picked up the speedster with one hand. “Runt’s not fast ‘nuff. I woulda reckoned he’d be able to dodge.” The Kryptonian teen roared as the supervillain wrapped one hand around Kid Flash’s throat. “Put him down!”

Superboy charged forward, lowering his shoulder to knock the wind out of Tommy Terror. Luckily for Wally, the super-strong villain let go of his death grip on the speedster’s windpipe, turning his full attention to the new annoyance. “Nother one?” Tommy slammed his elbow down into Superboy’s back, breaking the Kryptonian’s hold and smashing him into the ground hard. Conner groaned as _pain_ rippled through his body. ‘This guy’s almost as strong as Blockbuster.’

Tommy’s twin sister joined him to look down at the momentarily downed superheroes. “What you reckon we do with them, brother Tommy?” The male Terror Twin merely smiled sadistically, cracking his knuckles with a bit of relish in his voice. “Let’s play with ‘em a little. Been too long since we’ve had a real challenge.”

Just then, a mighty fist smashed into Tommy’s temple, followed up by a swift kick to Tuppence’s chest. Both villains were knocked into the nearby shelving from the force of the blow, their invulnerable bodies causing the steel to crumple like tin foil. Superboy groaned and picked himself up as Wonder Girl touched down next to him. “And that’s why you don’t run off without me, Boy of Steel.” Superboy grunted as he pushed himself up, rolling his shoulder experimentally. He noticed that Kid Flash was still out cold: apparently even his accelerated healing factor had its limits.

Wonder Girl came to the same realization as the Kryptonian clone. “We need to get him out of here now.” Superboy nodded and draped the unconscious teen over his shoulder. Wonder Girl, levitating just inches off the ground, reached over and grabbed the speedster’s googles. “I’ll get the rest of the hostages out. You take him to Artemis.” Without another word, both heroes zipped away, intent on completing their mission.

* * *

Aqualad pocketed a strange circuit board before shutting the biometrically locked drawer in front of him. “Robin, I have the third piece. Head to the rendezvous point with Arsenal: I will take a different route.” His comlink squawked loudly, the warehouse’s Faraday cage messing with the transmission somewhat. “Hear you loud and clear. We’re grabbing the last two components now, but I’m not picking up comms traffic from the others.”

The Atlantean frowned: that could be a product of the warehouse’s extensive electronic shielding, or something more sinister. He decided, in that moment, to investigate. The teen stood up to his full height and drew his water bearers. Creating a whip was simple enough, but using it to swing up to the catwalks above him was something he had little practice with. Aqualad barely got a grip with his right hand on the metal platform, cool to the touch due to the controlled climate. After pulling himself up, the Team’s leader broadcast a message over all of his unit’s most-used frequencies.

“This is Aqualad to all members. State your position, over.” He paused for a moment, waiting for a response from his missing teammates. “Kid, Superboy, Wonder Girl: where are you?” Still no response. Aqualad frowned once more: this had to be checked out. There might still be civilians in the warehouse, along with two very dangerous villains. He ran along the catwalks towards Kid Flash’s last known position, looking down to try and spot the noticeable yellow blur that he had come to see so often. ‘Where could they be?’

Suddenly, a loud roar echoed throughout the enclosed space. Aqualad spun around to see a massive man leaping up at the catwalks with his hands outstretched. The Atlantean rolled away as the super-strong teen crumpled steel like paper and yanked the section of catwalk from its moors. “Why, hello there.” Tommy Terror vaulted up to the still-standing sections of catwalk, an evil grin on his face. “What have we got here?”

Aqualad drew his weapons without a word. He knew he was outmatched in terms of strength, but he had studied the reports on the Terror Twins. While they had strength to match some of the more powerful Leaguers, they weren’t particularly gifted in the intellect department. The Atlantean hero just needed to stall until his team could come and back him up. It would take all of his training just to avoid getting crushed.

Tommy charged with another animalistic roar, but Aqualad leapt off the catwalk to avoid the brute. Then, using his water whip and one of the mooring cables, he swung back around and delivered a punishing kick to the small of Tommy’s back. His strength was nothing compared to Tommy’s, but his momentum and higher density combined to create a highly effective attack. Still, it felt like hitting a brick wall. Kaldur held back a wince as he landed gracefully behind the still recovering villain.

Rubbing his bruised back, the super-strong teen whirled around to face his heroic opponent. “Why, you little…” Without another word, Tommy clenched his fists and threw a couple of wild punches in Aqualad’s direction. The Atlantean formed a shield with one of his water bearers and went to work. The more nimble hero danced around his strong, yet bulky foe: Tommy’s blows either met air or glanced off the hard-water shield. With each missed attack, the villain’s ire rose: he clenched his jaw so tightly Aqualad wondered if he would end up breaking it. “Hold still!”

DOOM! Aqualad leapt back to avoid a heavy hammerblow from the villain, only to stumble. The sheer force of the blow had nearly unmoored the catwalk they were standing on, making it that much harder to maneuver. This made Aqualad’s strategy of dodging and weaving that much more difficult, but the brute was unfazed by the shifting environment. He merely smirked and charged once more.

His motion destabilized the entire catwalk, the few cables still remaining groaning under the increased strain. As Aqualad struggled to maintain his footing, Tommy grabbed him by the collar and drew back his fist. Kaldur’s eyes widened as he watched Tommy cock his fist back for an earth-shattering blow. The Atlantean brought his forearms up to catch his opponent’s wrist before the punch could make contact. He winced as his opponent attempted to yank his arm back for another punch.

The cables continued to groan ever more loudly, one or two even snapping. Tommy grunted, his face screwed up in concentration. Clearly this battle was taxing even his limited mental capacities. “Cut… it… out!” Aqualad allowed a small smile to come to his face: maybe he could win this fight. He just needed to throw his opponent off-balance.

In an instant, Aqualad let go of Tommy’s wrist. The unexpected shift caused the human tank to stumble backwards, giving the Atlantean a moment to strike. His elbow slammed into the Terror Twin’s temple, knocking him senseless. Tommy’s grip on his shirt loosened, prompting him to lash out with both feet. The double kick caught the villain in the chest, eliciting another groan.

The Atlantean, now completely free, caught himself on the lip of the catwalk before he could fall to the floor below. Pulling himself up, Aqualad drew his water bearers for the next step of his plan. Forming both into swords, he slashed every remaining cable in sight. “Hold up there!” Aqualad spun around to see Tommy rearing back for another punch. The Atlantean dodged to the left, temporarily forming a whip to swing around on one of the cables. Once he was behind the Terror Twin, he slashed the cable with his sword while spinning and forming a mace at the same time. In the span of two seconds, the cable was slashed, the mace slammed into Tommy’s head, and Aqualad landed in a crouch behind the villain.

The Terror Twin staggered around, his fists up in a clumsy block. “That… all you got?” Aqualad smiled calmly. “No.” He moved faster than Tommy could even process, slashing through the steel catwalk with his sword. Untethered to the ceiling by anything, the ten-foot section of catwalk hung suspended for just a moment. Tommy’s eyes widened as he felt gravity take hold, yanking him down with the catwalk. He roared loudly as he began to fall, grasping futilely for any kind of handhold.

Aqualad smiled, only to be knocked off-balance by a sharp blow to his spine. Wincing, the Atlantean couldn’t stop himself from falling forward towards the precipice. He heard a feminine chuckle behind him before another fist, as hard as iron, rammed into the back of his right knee. Crumpling, the hero finally fell over the edge, hurtling towards Tommy. Completely stunned by the two devastating blows, Aqualad could do nothing to slow his fall. He watched the floor come up towards him at horrifying speeds, unable to stop.

The Atlantean slammed into the side of a shelf, biting back a cry as the cold steel nearly cracked several of his ribs. Despite the intense pain, Kaldur willed himself to spin so that he landed on his feet. His teeth grit together from the shock still reverberating throughout his nervous system. The two blows had nearly knocked him out of the fight: he couldn’t risk tanking another.

Tuppence Terror landed next to her prone brother, nudging him with her foot. “Tommy, you good?” Tommy groaned and slowly got to his feet, the combination of Aqualad’s precise strikes and the fall disorienting him. Aqualad smiled through the pain: he still had a chance. He just needed to buy the others a little more time, assuming they were still standing. Slowly, he stepped back into his traditional stance, his shield held out in front of him with his sword raised threateningly behind.

Tuppence and Tommy turned to face the still-standing hero, identical grins on each of their faces. Despite Aqualad’s brave front, the two understood that the Atlantean did not share their invulnerability, and was likely injured by Tuppence’s sneak attack. Tommy cracked his knuckles menacingly as he stared down the young hero. “I’m gonna enjoy this.”

Aqualad’s comlink buzzed in his ear. “Aqualad, do you read?” The Atlantean hero chose not to respond, keeping his entire focus on the two threats in front of him. “The fourth component is missing. I repeat, the fourth component is missing. The twins must have grabbed it before we got here.” Kaldur’s eyes narrowed imperceptibly, scrutinizing the supervillains in front of him. The mission parameters had just changed from collection to recovery, and that meant only one thing.

* * *

Without thinking, the Atlantean charged the two villains. He collapsed his shield back into his water bearer, placing it back in his pack. His sword morphed into a mace as he somersaulted over the bewildered Terror Twins, the weapon’s menacing head smashing into Tommy’s shoulder blades. The super-strong villain howled in pain, his invulnerability not shielding him from the electric shock accompanying the blow.

As Aqualad landed, he immediately leapt backward to avoid Tuppence’s swinging elbow. The motion jostled his previous injuries, burning pain radiating up and down his spine. Trying his best not to wince, the Atlantean reformed his shield just in time to block a kick from a now enraged Tommy. “Aqualad, do you read?”

The Atlantean ignored Robin’s incoming comm bursts, entirely focused on avoiding every punch and kick thrown at him. He quickly formed a shield with both water bearers, catching Tommy’s massive fist before it crushed him. DOOM! Rather than pushing back, Aqualad retreated, letting the metahuman stumble into a nearby shelf. “DAMN IT!”

That’s when he saw it. Aqualad could see the glint of a metal object tucked into Tommy’s waistband. The Terror Twin pushed himself away from the shelf, the steel crumpling under his incredibly strong grip. “You think you’re funny, fish man?” Cracking his knuckles and chuckling darkly, the super-strong meta lunged wildly after the Atlantean.

Aqualad spun away, narrowly avoiding Tommy’s grasp. His water bearer now shifted into a whip, the amorphous weapon glowing bright blue. Before Tommy could react, Aqualad snaked the weapon around the component and yanked hard. At last, the objective had been secured.

Tommy turned back around to see his Atlantean foe grasping the titanium cylinder. “You better give that back, before I--” BOOM! Two Batarangs detonated upon impact, eliciting a roar from the stunned Terror Twin. Robin flipped down to stand beside his teammate, smirking at his handiwork. “Sorry we took so long. We had to take a detour.”

Aqualad’s eyebrow quirked upwards. “We?” As if to answer his question, Tuppence Terror flew backwards into her brother, smoke curling up from her chest. Two arrows soared along after her, only to be knocked away by both metahumans. Moving into sight, Arsenal nodded to his two friends while nocking yet another arrow. Aqualad took notice of his friend’s half-empty quiver and frowned. Without arrows, Arsenal’s usefulness was limited, especially given their opponents.

“Wonder Girl to Aqualad. We got everyone out of the warehouse.” Aqualad activated his transmitter. “Roger. Do you have Kid Flash’s position?”

“Superboy and Artemis have him at the entrance. He got beat up pretty bad.” Robin’s face twisted with pain. The conversation had been happening over the team channel the whole time. Aqualad nodded solemnly. “Rendezvous with the rest of us right now. We need to finish this now.” Without waiting for a response, Aqualad cut the channel and formed his water swords once more. Robin fell into a basic combat stance, three Batarangs in hand.

With a mighty roar, Tommy Terror charged the Atlantean, his eyes alight with rage. His sister similarly targeted Arsenal, grinning maniacally as the archer spun to avoid a deadly blow. Aqualad leapt back to avoid an overhead blow from Tommy, his swords crackling with bio-electricity, and delivered a painful slash to the villain’s side. The meta screamed as the electricity coursed through his body, the sword not even breaking his skin to deliver a brief burst of agony.

The Atlantean hero rolled to the side, nodding slightly to his teammate behind him. Robin flung all three explosive Batarangs at the stunned supervillain, the flash and smoke of the explosions obscuring their enemy in an instant. Getting back to his feet, Aqualad spun to face Tommy once more, only to hear a shout from his left.

Arsenal lay prone, his bow on the ground ten feet away. He looked up through half-lidded eyes at the super-strong woman standing menacingly over him, smirking despite it all. “Zat all you got?” Tuppence grinned evilly and lifted her foot high to squash the teen in front of her. Aqualad desperately sprinted towards his friend, only to be tackled by Tommy from behind. “Got you now, freak!” The Atlantean could hear Robin sprinting towards him, but his attention remained focused on Arsenal. ‘I am sorry, my friend.’

* * *

Roy closed his eyes, bracing for the inevitable crunch of his bones beneath Tuppence’s boot. After a few seconds of complete silence, Arsenal heard a whoosh of wind followed by a grunt and sounds of crunching metal. The archer’s bright blue eyes opened to see a blonde angel floating above him, rubbing her knuckles and smirking. “Take that, b--”

A deafening boom cut Wonder Girl off, a thick cloud of smoke obscuring the battlefield. ‘Robin and his Batarangs.’ Arsenal stood up and winced as his side burned with pain. ‘Cracked rib maybe. Not my first.’ The Team’s resident Amazon turned to the older hero with a concerned look, but the archer waved her off. “I’m fine. Thanks for the save.”

Wonder Girl nodded emphatically. “No problem! Besides, I’ve been waiting all day for a challenge.” Arsenal smiled softly as he picked up his bow. He double-checked the bow for damage and, finding none, nocked one of his last explosive arrows. ‘Only nine arrows left. Damn.’ Arsenal desperately wished for a new quiver to drop out of the sky.

Out of nowhere, a full quiver dropped on the ground in front of him. Arsenal, startled by the sudden action, looked up to see Artemis smirking proudly. “Thought you might need that.” Giving his fellow archer a thumbs up, the redheaded archer placed the eight arrows from his old quiver into his new quiver and slung the full quiver over his shoulder. ‘Much better.’

Superboy sprinted up next to Artemis, his entire body as taut as a bowstring. Arsenal saw the burning look in his eyes and knew that the boy was inching for a fight. ‘Just my luck.’ Before he could give Superboy orders, the Kryptonian caught glimpse of Tommy grappling with Aqualad and charged headlong into the fray.

Wonder Girl likewise joined Robin in fighting a slowly recovering Tuppence, trading blows with the villain that made the whole warehouse shake. The two archers of the Team remained back, unsure of what to do. Artemis looked to her new friend for guidance, silently awaiting his instructions. Roy made his decision quickly: now was the time to act.

“Artemis, get up into the rafters and give them some suppressing fire. I’ll try to draw Tuppence out: when I do, shift to foam arrows and try to pin her down long enough for Wonder Girl to get in one good hit.” Artemis didn’t even wait a second to act, nodding to Arsenal as she drew one of her new grappling arrows. In a few seconds, she ascended up to the rafters and began firing every kind of arrow she had at both Terror Twins.

Arsenal smirked as he lined up a perfect shot, sending his explosive-tipped arrow at Tuppence’s head. The villain’s invulnerability left her unharmed, but her ears ringing. She pulled her attention away from Wonder Girl, who had a cut on her forehead and bruises all over her aching body, and growled at the archer. “Hey Tuppy, miss me?” Arsenal fired another explosive arrow, this time hitting her square in the chest.

The Terror Twin came roaring at him, slowed down temporarily by a barrage of explosive arrows courtesy of Arsenal. Still, within seconds, the archer leapt away from a bone-crushing kick and raised his hand. Tuppence looked to him with a curious, yet predatory look, and smirked. “What are you doing?”

Arsenal clenched his raised fist. Without another word, Tuppence roared as one, two, three arrows released polyurethane foam all over her. The rapidly expanding and hardening material engulfed her faster than she could even raise a finger to stop it. With her range of motion drastically reduced, the super-strong meta nevertheless strained against her prison. “Ugh… I’LL MAKE YOU PAY FOR THIS, BOY!”

Wonder Girl, seeing her chance, took off and accelerated to top speed, cocking her fist back. In just seconds, she closed the distance between her and Tuppence, her eyes screwing shut in concentration. “YAAAHHH!”

THUUUUMM! All of the foam encasing Tuppence shattered, the thunderclap from the high-speed punch shaking the whole building at the same time. The supervillain crumpled, but miraculously stayed conscious after Wonder Girl’s last ditch effort. Arsenal sighed and drew three electrical arrows: the same type of arrows that helped fell the weather controlling android Mr. Twister.

The high voltage arrowheads detonated on impact, an immense current of energy surging through Tuppence. She screamed in utter agony for a few seconds, twitching uncontrollably as her nervous system absorbed the entirety of the assault. Then, mercifully, she fell silent, collapsing like a sack of potatoes. At last, the female Terror Twin was out cold.

Tommy, seeing the situation unfold, roared and knocked Aqualad into a charging Superboy. “I’LL KILL YOU!” Artemis fired her remaining foam arrows at the rampaging meta, but he either dodged or sprinted straight through the constricting material. His eyes glossed over with rage, he attempted to crush Arsenal with his oversized fists, only to meet a swift uppercut from Wonder Girl. Knocked back by the blow, Tommy roared as two explosive arrows detonated near his face, blinding him to what came next.

Three Batarangs detonated upon impact, the explosions scorching his back and stunning him even more. Before he could clear his head and vision, he felt two strange ropes circle around his upper arms. A current of bio-electricity followed, channeled into the water whips by Aqualad.

Despite everything he had endured today, Tommy strained to remain conscious, his adrenaline coursing through his veins to dull the pain he was feeling for the first time in years. He ripped himself away from the constricting water whips, stumbling forward to try and choke Arsenal. The archer’s death was the only thing on his mind, which is probably why he failed to notice the heavy footsteps coming from behind him.

Superboy lowered his shoulder and decked Tommy, slamming into the small of his opponent’s back. The Kryptonian grinned as he elicited a load groan from the Terror Twin, only to be swatted away by a wild backhand. Wonder Girl swooped in to catch the airborne Superboy, setting him down gently. “You good?” As soon as Superboy nodded, the Amazon turned her attention to the metahuman still rampaging through the warehouse. “You go high, I go low. Got it?”

Much to her shock, Superboy simply nodded and charged around Tommy’s side to come at him from his front. Grinning, Wonder Girl swooped in at the same time, hugging the ground as closely as possible. The meta didn’t know what hit him: Wonder Girl tripped him just an instant before Superboy pushed past his clumsy block and dealt a satisfying hook.

The two strongest Team members didn’t let up: Wonder Girl flew back around and landed feet first on Tommy’s stomach, _hard_ , while Superboy landed punch after punch on his exposed face. The pain too much, Tommy slumped into unconsciousness, but Superboy didn’t let up. Roaring like an animal, the Kryptonian kept punching and punching.

“Stop! You’re killing him!” Aqualad tried to put his teammate in a full nelson, but Superboy, his mind clouded with rage, knocked him away with a forceful shove. Arsenal stepped forward, an arrow nocked and ready, but Wonder Girl surged forward to hold the Kryptonian’s right arm back. “Superboy, stop!”

Struggling for a moment, Superboy then turned and tried to slam his fist into the Amazon’s cheek. Her hand, a blur to everyone else watching, zoomed up to intercept it, his fist colliding with her palm long before it reached her face. “Stop. Please.”

Something snapped. Superboy’s steely gaze lost its focus, his conscience and rational mind finally conquering his instincts. “I’m… so sorry.” He stumbled back, his horrified gaze dropping to his bloodied hands, then to the still breathing, yet bloody, Tommy Terror. The Kryptonian sunk to his knees beside Tommy’s body, staring blankly at his defeated enemy’s marred visage. ‘I… almost killed him. What’s wrong with me?’

At that moment, the Team’s earpieces chirped. “This is Batman to Team. Have you secured the package?”

Robin, looking to a still recovering Aqualad, transmitted a reply. “This is Robin. The package is secure and suspects are down. We need meta-response units from GCPD, if possible. Preferably FBI and DHS too. These guys won’t stay down for long.”

“Copy that. Reinforcements are on their way. Casualty report?”

Aqualad answered this time, finally back on his feet. “Kid Flash sustained non-lethal injuries, but otherwise the Team is still operational, Batman. All civilians were evacuated without incident.”

“Excellent. Good work, Aqualad. Batman out.”

The channel closed with a burp of static, drawing Aqualad’s attention back to an unmoving Superboy and an entirely stunned Team. A loud whoosh and burst of wind preceded the arrival of a recovered Kid Flash, who took one look at the scene and shook his head. “What the hell did you guys do when I was napping?”

* * *

HAPPY HARBOR  
SEPTEMBER 7, 13:55 EDT  
2020

Conner slipped into his seat in Biology, having just apologized profusely to Mrs. Abramowitz for being tardy. She had sent him to his assigned seat with a chuckle and shaking of her head: he wasn’t the first student to make ridiculous excuses, it seems. Sighing loudly, the Kryptonian plopped into his stool at the lab table without even glancing at his lab partner. The sudden movement caused the young hero to wince: he might be Kryptonian, but the battle with the Terror Twins had left its mark.

“Are you okay?” Startled, Conner looked to his right to see Tana Moon sitting at his lab table. Despite being in pain, the boy still found the strength for a genuine smile, followed up by a ridiculous comment. “What are you doing here?”

Tana raised a curious eyebrow. “I’m in AP Biology, just like you. Besides, I should be asking you the questions right now. Where did you and _Cassie_ go off to today?” There was no mistaking the emphasis she put on Cassie, even by the social inept Kryptonian clone. He reached over to Tana and put his hand over her’s. “Nothing. We’re not a thing, Tana. Trust me on this.”

It was then that both of them realized how close they had just gotten. Tana and Conner blushed furiously, the boy withdrawing his hand to run it through his dark locks nervously. The brunette laughed softly and fiddled with her pencil, her shoes becoming far more interesting. Both sat in silence for a moment, not paying any attention to Mrs. Abramowitz’s discussion of the syllabus. Minutes passed by slowly as the two teens tried to move past their awkwardness, but it still lingered around them.

Eventually, both spoke up at the same time. “I just--” They stopped talking and looked at one another. Tana went first. “So, listen, would you want to go out sometime? I mean, it’s okay if you don’t, but you’re new in town and I thought maybe you’d--”

“Sure. Sounds good.” Conner shrugged his shoulders and grinned a little. “7 on Friday, down at the pier?”

Tana nodded, flashing him a smile as bright as the sun. “Great! It’s a date.”

* * *

MOUNT JUSTICE  
SEPTEMBER 7, 18:15 EDT  
2020

“So he lost control.” Batman stood in the conference room with Red Tornado and the senior members of the Team, his arms crossed over his chest. Aqualad remained silent, clearly thinking of his response, before Roy cut in. “Yes. He nearly killed Tommy before Wonder Girl stopped him.” The Atlantean opened his mouth to interject, but closed it again when he realized he couldn’t really defend Superboy’s actions.

The Dark Knight sighed. “I was worried this would happen. Clearly, Cadmus’s programming is more complete than we originally thought. They must have encouraged his more animalistic side to make him… deadlier.” Even Batman seemed off-put by what he was suggesting. Arsenal jumped to his friend’s defense once he saw where the conversation was going.

“It’s not his fault. He was programmed that way, molded into a weapon without his consent. He shouldn’t--” Aqualad stepped forward, interrupting Arsenal with a hand on his shoulder. The archer stopped and took a deep breath. Batman looked on impassively as Aqualad took on the argument.

“No one is going to make Superboy leave the Team. However, he does need help to tame this side of him. I suggest we bring in someone, a psychologist to help him work through his emotions and find peace.”

Batman nodded. “Agreed. Luckily, the League already has someone trained in counseling, even though they’re not necessarily a psychologist.”

Arsenal chuckled as Aqualad looked befuddled. “Who, may I ask, is this person, Batman?”

The Dark Knight turned around, his cape billowing as he walked to the door. “She’ll be here tomorrow night, 1900. Have Superboy meet in this room: they have a lot to get through.”

Without another word, the Caped Crusader left the room, leaving behind a confused Atlantean, a bemused archer, and one apathetic android.

* * *

KEYSTONE CITY  
SEPTEMBER 7, 20:30 CDT  
2020

The doctor knew that her life was in peril as she walked into the darkened conference room. Being summoned by the board of directors was never a good thing, especially given the lack of progress on her projects. Still, Doctor Harmon strode into the room with her head held high, taking note of the figure sitting at the other end of the long oak table. “Doctor McGee. I had no idea you would be here.”

The director looked up at her employee and smiled nervously. “As did I. But the board wanted me here so here I am.” Both doctors nervously chuckled as Harmon took her seat, the room otherwise silent. Doctor Harmon began to drum her fingers nervously against the wood, eliciting a frown from her boss at the other end of the table. Eliza flashed an apologetic smile and clasped her hands together to stop her nervous ticks from manifesting.

Suddenly, a younger man ran into the room, pushing his glasses up on his face. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t know where this meeting was going to be. I apologize, Doctor McGee.” The director of Mercury Labs sighed and waved the man to a seat. “Mister Rusch, if you continue this trend, I am afraid I will be quite disappointed. Even if your work on Project Mercury is quite remarkable. Your department seems to be the only one getting anything done around her now.”

Eliza Harmon shrunk further into her seat, just wanting this day to end. It was then that the room flashed to life, hidden screens now emitting bright white light. Jason Rusch held up his hands in dismay, shielding them from the blinding light. “What the hell?”

To her credit, Doctor McGee remained unmoved by the sudden change in atmosphere. Doctor Harmon made herself as small as possible, but still looked up at one of the screens. It was about to begin.

L-1, his voice gruff and displaying an uncharacteristic level of hostility, spoke first. “Doctor McGee, your report.” The director cleared her throat and began to speak in a calm and level-headed tone that sharply contrasted with the words she was saying.

“Project Mercury is making progress on locating the dimensional frequency, especially since we were able to hone in on the data used by STAR Labs. I have the leader of the breach--”

L-1 growled angrily. “So you have not yet begun the extraction phase? You are behind schedule again Doctor.”

Doctor McGee paled considerably. “You must understand that Mister Rusch and his engineering team are working around the clock--”

A different voice, smoother and yet somehow more intimidating, interrupted this time. “Perhaps it might be better to discuss the Velocity project. I understand that is also experiencing… difficulties.” L-3 seemed to turn and face Doctor Harmon, despite his entire face being obscured by bright light. “It seems that the project has stalled. Is that correct, Doctor Harmon?”

Eliza, nearly quivering in fear, swallowed the lump in her throat and spoke up. “We’ve made progress on stabilizing Velocity 9, but it is still nonviable for human test subjects. The rate of cellular det--”

L-1, his voice booming with rage, interrupted her. “Enough of this. Doctor McGee, you will be taking on the Velocity project personally. Mister Rusch, Doctor Harmon is going to demonstrate what it happens when you fail us.”

Before anyone in the room could speak, Eliza felt something cold rip through the back of her seat and plunge into her heart. Within an instant, she lay dead in her seat, a dribble of blood trickling from the corner of her mouth. A sword, rammed through the seat back and extending out through her chest, was stained with the same dark blood. Doctor McGee stumbled back from her seat, clasping a hand over her mouth in shock. Jason Rusch had a much more visceral reaction: he vomited all over the conference table.

A man dressed in the traditional black uniform of the League of Assassins, a hooded mask covering his face, stepped into the light, removing the sword from Eliza in one yank. L-2 spoke up, pride evident in his tone. “Welcome, al-Sahir. It is good to see you.”

The assassin bowed to his master, his voice masked by a filter which project a low, intimidating growl. “Master. I have done as you requested.” As Eliza Harmon’s blood still dripped from his sword, al-Sahir, the mysterious assassin, straightened up once more and sheathed the blade without a second thought. Jason Rusch, now simply dry heaving, could only watch as the murderer stood at attention, as if awaiting instructions.

L-2 nodded, the motion barely perceptible to those watching. “Very good, al-Sahir. You have always been my most trusted follower.” L-1 spoke up now, addressing the assassin directly as well. “Ah yes, Mister Merlyn. It is good to see you again.”

The assassin didn’t even flinch at the mention of “Merlyn.” He stood as straight as a rod, his gaze unflinching and his hands unmoving. L-2 continued on, ignoring L-1’s snide comment. “al-Sahir, you shall ensure the completion of Project Mercury through any means you see fit.”

“Your will shall be done, master.” al-Sahir, the man once known as Malcolm Merlyn, bowed to his master once more. The conference room now dimmed as the Light left, leaving behind two frightened scientists, one corpse and a master assassin.

The assassin turned to the other two living beings in the room, both now cowering in fear of the masked menace. “Get to work. Now.”

As the two scientists all but ran from the room in a mixture of revulsion and abject horror, al-Sahir turned to face his victim. He hadn’t noticed her youth before: she must have been quite talented to rise up through the ranks of Mercury Labs like this. ‘She’s not that much older than Tommy would have been.’

Silencing the voice in his head, al-Sahir moved forward and shut Doctor Harmon’s eyelids in a show of respect. He muttered a prayer in Arabic as he picked up the body and carried it out of the room. While she may have failed his master and the Light, she still deserved a proper burial. He would give himself an hour to bury the body.

Then, he would return. He had work to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here’s a mostly original storyline. I’m setting up the pieces for the next major story arc, so please bear with me on anything that might seem out of place. While the current arc is meant to showcase the first steps of the Team and character bonding, it’s also important to set up the Light as worthy antagonists of the Justice League. Their plan will differ from that of the show, as this is a pretty substantial deviation from YJ canon.
> 
> So Merlyn made an appearance! Our favorite enforcer of Ra's al-Ghul (or at least mine) will be appearing infrequently for the first few chapters, but he'll become a star soon enough. Also, Mercury Labs! And a bunch of scientists related to the Flash! Sadly, Eliza Harmon's death precludes any Trajectory sightings, but that doesn't mean we won't have female speedsters. I just needed a character well-versed in Velocity 9 for reasons that will become abundantly clear soon enough. I can tell you that more speedster lore will be coming up, so stay tuned!
> 
> Look forward to more issues with Conner’s anger, Wally and Artemis butting heads, and Roy and Kaldur being the only voices of reason. Also, Robin shenanigans.
> 
> Next episode/chapter is “Order and Chaos,” featuring the introduction of a certain magician to the Team. Look forward to that soonish: it’s been kind of hard to write with school and all.


	10. Order and Chaos

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A series of robberies concerning mystical items attracts the curiosity of the League and the Team. The young heroes are joined by a new face, the daughter of a Leaguer, who will help them solve this magical mystery. But what happens when they stumble onto an opponent far more powerful than they can handle even as a team?
> 
> First Steps: Part 5 of 5

**SECTION II: FIRST STEPS**

Chapter 10: Order and Chaos

* * *

GOTHAM CITY  
OCTOBER 6, 23:31 EDT  
2020

Batman didn’t get alerts from this part of Gotham: he usually spent his nights prowling the slums or docks, fighting mob enforcers and uncovering illegal shipments of drugs. Occasionally, his duties to the Justice League would drag him away from his city, but he tried to return every night to the city that had birthed him. His home would always be his to protect.

Now, that selfless devotion to Gotham came in the form of stopping a robbery. Not from any bank or office building, but a museum. The Gotham City Museum of Antiquities, to be more specific. Batman was utterly silent as he tore through the streets in the Batmobile, his eyes focused on the road in front of him.

His comlink chirped, a signal of an incoming transmission. He switched it on, speaking in a deep and booming baritone. “Go ahead.”

“Hey Batman, what’s up? Alfred just told me you’re heading to a museum. Something up?”

Robin was supposedly at the Cave tonight, hanging out with his teammates. ‘Hopefully training too.’ Batman responded dispassionately. “Silent alarm was tripped, but security cameras aren’t showing any intruders.”

“Must be a slow night if you’re going to check out a museum robbery. What, are you going to make sure that no one is making off with some old rocks?” Robin’s cheeky humor failed to bring a smile to the Dark Knight’s face, a fact which the boy almost seemed to sense. “You need me to suit up and meet you there? There’s a Zeta Tube not too far from there.”

“Negative. Take the night off: like you said, it’s quiet here. Spend time with your friends.”

“Oh, you mean like you did at my age?” Robin couldn’t have laid on more sarcasm if he had tried. The Boy Wonder loved his wisecracks, for sure. Batman simply ignored him and got off the channel, slowing the Batmobile to a halt in front of the museum. The building was built in one of the city’s good years, where the wealthy actually put money into making it a better place to live. The museum looked like something out of ancient Rome, with tall columns and polished marble dominating the design.

The Caped Crusader vaulted out of the Batmobile and re-activated his comlink. “Alfred, what do you have?”

A man with a heavy British accent responded a second later. “Cameras are showing nothing, but a silent alarm was tripped in the northwest wing.” Batman nodded and took out his grappling gun. “The thieves must have looped the cameras. Try resetting the system remotely and get back to me.” He fired the grappling line at the roof, letting the advanced magnetic device yank him up to the top of the building.

* * *

STAR CITY  
OCTOBER 6, 20:32 PDT  
2020

“What exactly am I looking for Overwatch?” Green Arrow and Spartan, forever his partner, walked quietly through the darkened halls of the museum, heads on a swivel. The veteran archer’s gaze darted into every dark corner, his years in the field reminding him to always be alert. Next to him, the former Army Ranger had his tranq gun up and ready to fire.

“I don’t know. There’s a camera blackout in the east wing of the museum, but I _can_ tell you that there is definitely _something_ moving. Possibly somethings, but I can’t be sure.” Overwatch’s calm and steady voice issued from their earpieces. The blonde herself was safely ensconced in Queen Consolidated sublevel 6, typing away at her newly upgraded workstation. She had directed them to the museum just after they had stopped an armed robbery in the Glades. Apparently, the break-in was unusual, without much of an electronic trail to follow on Felicity’s end.

“So, are you going to talk to him?” Spartan butted in as soon as Overwatch had gotten off the channel. The League’s resident archer looked over to his partner with a weary expression. “No, not you too.” Both Felicity and Dinah had already talked to him about this today, and he was getting a little sick of it. ‘It’s not like I don’t want him to come back.’

“Could we possibly talk about this later?” Green Arrow swept his hand back to draw an arrow from his quiver, twirling it in his left hand in a distracted manner. Underneath his helmet, Diggle lifted his eyebrow and smirked. “Sure thing man. Just don’t want you to brood anymore.”

Green Arrow opened his mouth to reply just before they were both interrupted by a loud bang. The two responded quickly, the archer nocking his arrow while Spartan keyed his comms. “Overwatch, do you have eyes in the east wing?”

“Negative. Motion sensors are still picking up movement, but you’re going in blind.” Spartan nodded and turned to his partner. The archer narrowed his eyes and kept moving forward, sweeping around the corner in one fluid motion. Both noticed the door at the end of the hallway was ajar, with a shadow flitting around under the frame. Spartan’s gun snapped to track where the creature would be just as Green Arrow called into Overwatch.

“We see at least one shadow, possibly more. I need you to get us eyes on _now_.” Without a second thought, Green Arrow moved forward and ripped the door open. The archer ducked around the frame into the room as Spartan sprinted in after him. Both gaped at what they saw.

* * *

GOTHAM CITY  
OCTOBER 6, 23:34 EDT  
2020

Batman swung down from the skylight into an empty gallery. He was close to the reported intrusion, and set off to confront the unknown menace. The Dark Knight made sure he had explosive Batarangs on hand as he barged through one set of doors into a long hallway. “Alfred, do you have a visual?”

“Negative, Master Bruce. The cameras are still down.” Batman grimaced under his cowl, but continued to move towards a closed set of double doors. The world’s greatest detective, from his cursory glances, could see no signs of forced entry, no marks of any intruder entering the building. ‘How did they get in?’ His mind racing, the Caped Crusader came to the thick wooden doors and tried to gently twist the handles. ‘Locked. Damn.’

Batman reached for a familiar tool in his utility belt: explosive gel. The proprietary material, developed by Wayne Chemicals, hardened upon a few seconds of contact with air and detonated via a short-wave radio burst. The ingenious chemical mixture had helped him out for years now, ever since Lucius Fox had added it to his burgeoning arsenal of tools and tricks. Spraying just a tad on the latch, Batman stepped back and detonated it remotely.

In a flash of light and loud pop, the door latch shattered. The Caped Crusader nearly flew into the room, his cape fluttering behind him menacingly. He entered the room, intent on using his stern visage to intimidate whatever pathetic criminals had entered the museum. Fear, he had found, was a more powerful weapon than any gadget he could store in his utility belt.

Of course, that plan went off the rails as soon as he witnessed what he was truly up against.

* * *

MOUNT JUSTICE  
OCTOBER 7, 16:12 EDT  
2020

“Recognized: Kid Flash, B-0-4. Artemis, B-0-7.” In a flash of yellow light, both Zeta-Tubes in the Cave’s main briefing room spat out two teenagers, a speedster and an archer. Unlike their mentors, who had nothing but kind words for each other every time they met, these two merely glared with startling intensity. Arsenal shared an amused glance with his Atlantean friend: both of them had gathered around a holographic projection of the globe. Red dots were spread all around the virtual Earth: all of them representations of strange activity by super-criminals.

“I still don’t get it Kaldur. What do the two incidents have in common? It makes no sense.” Roy absentmindedly twirled an arrow in his right hand as he stared at one particular incident report. Aqualad shook his head, clearly just as confused as his friend. “I do not know, but it cannot be coincidence that both the League of Assassins and the Terror Twins were interested in WayneTech. There must be a connection there.”

“Recognized: Robin, B-0-1.” The Zeta Tube powered down as Robin, already in his uniform, made his way to the two senior members of the Team. “What’s up?” The ever-excited thirteen-year-old took one look at the data and frowned. “This again? You guys and Batman are obsessed with this stuff.”

Arsenal, also clad in his full uniform _sans_ mask, turned to face his non-powered companion. “And you’re not?” Robin chuckled a little and opened up his holographic computer. He showed the two all of the data he had compiled during both the League of Assassins incident and the battle with the Terror Twins. “Well, yes, but I’m not spending every waking hour trying to put this puzzle together.”

Aqualad smiled softly at his teammate’s comment. Waving his hand, he shut down the holographic projection and spoke directly to Robin. “Well then, would you care to spar?” The young boy’s face lit up like a Christmas tree. Without another word, both fell into a fighting stance, restraining from the use of weapons for now. Arsenal, quite wisely, got out of the way.

Robin beckoned to Aqualad, who charged in to try and strike down the upstart teen. The young acrobat spun away and tried to deliver a series of light jabs, each blocked or dodged by the Atlantean. Robin winced as one of his punches actually made contact with the Atlantean’s dense skin. Undeterred by the pain flaring in his knuckles, the Boy Wonder flipped backwards, his foot lashing out to strike Aqualad squarely in the chest. To his credit, the Atlantean hero only took a half-step back to steady himself before charging forward after the younger protégé.

Bored, Arsenal decided to start his afternoon target practice. He activated the training program in another part of the briefing room, moving holograms springing to life to act as targets. Moving quickly, he nocked and fired arrow after arrow, hitting the holograms of criminals in non-lethal ways while avoiding the “civilians.” The familiar rush of adrenaline pumping through his veins, the archer pressed on, clearing out thirteen targets in under a minute.

He rolled into a crouched position, nocking his arrow so that he would be able to fire as soon as he snapped up. Taking a deep breath, he fired the arrow in under a second, watching it fire towards the final target. The slow spin of the projectile around its axis never failed to fascinate the teen, the red fletching fluttering as it made its way towards the fake criminal’s shoulder. It never made it though.

In a flash of yellow lightning, a certain speedster snatched up his arrow and zoomed away. Wally’s cackle echoed back to Arsenal a second later, aggravating the poor archer more than the theft of his arrow. “WALLY!” Aqualad and Robin stopped their spar, both drenched in sweat, to watch the archer storm off in search of his lost arrow. Robin chuckled as a yellow blur, crackling with the Speed Force’s primal energy, whooshed past Roy and stole his quiver. Now, the archer sprinted as fast as he could, futilely trying to keep up with a speedster.

“What is Roy doing?” Artemis walked up behind Aqualad and Robin, both of whom turned to acknowledge her. Robin pointed to the yellow streak that zoomed into the briefing room once again to accost the elder archer. Artemis shook his head as Roy, now without his bow, chased after Wally in anger. “Could Wally be any less mature?” The blonde archer still couldn’t wrap her head around Wally: he was the only true metahuman among them, since Kaldur and Conner weren’t really human at all. The speedster had been blessed, yet not born, with extraordinary power, a gift from an extradimensional source of energy Artemis had only learned about in the last few weeks.

And yet, he still acted like the same kind of immature, self-obsessed, and ultimately aggravating teenage boys she had been forced to interact with for the past few years. ‘You would think seeing the world moving in slow motion would make you appreciate perspective.’ WHOOSH! Her hair flared back as Wally kicked up a wind running past the group. The lightning coming off his speed trail still mesmerized her: the nearby crackling of a truly elemental force, one as old as the universe itself, caused her whole body to tingle with ambient energy. ‘I could get used to that feeling.’

Artemis shook her head as if to clear those thoughts from her mind. Wally continued to run around the room, taunting a now tired Roy. The archer sighed and simply gave up, walking over to join the others. “Did someone feed him sugar or something?” Robin cackled in response to Roy’s comment and slapped a hand on his taller friend’s shoulder. “You haven’t spent much time with a speedster before, have you? They’re _always_ like this.”

Artemis snorted, her eyes still following the speedster as he zoomed all around them. She had no idea how fast he was going, but it had to be at least over four hundred miles per hour. Wally had never really pushed himself to his limits when training with the Team, but the archer knew that he was relatively slow for a speedster. Roy had cryptically mentioned other speedsters, plural, when Artemis briefly inquired about it earlier. He hadn’t gone into who the other speedsters were, only that they had tangled with the Flash years before.

Wally eventually slid to a stop, the yellow blur of lightning fading as he did so. With a wordless smirk, he tossed Roy his quiver and bow. The archer grumbled as he stalked off to finish his target practice, eliciting a grin from everyone present, even the usually stoic Kaldur. Another whoosh, much softer than the one generated by Wally’s running, ruffled everyone’s clothes as Cassie flew in for a landing. Conner, his hands shoved in the pockets of his leather jacket, soon joined the assembled Team as Roy finished firing and collecting his arrows.

“So, when do you think we’ll get another mission?” Conner looked over to the Team’s leader as he spoke, carefully controlling his facial expressions. Robin, Wally, and even Cassie seemed positively giddy at the prospect of another mission, but the elder members of the Team weren’t so ready. Roy and Kaldur both exchanged a knowing look: they both understood that the Team, for all of its early victories, hadn’t yet faced a foe truly out of their weight class. Blockbuster and Mammoth were both strong, but they were mindless brutes, unable to think strategically. The Terror Twins had been marginally smarter, but in the end manageable. The other foes they had faced were normal humans, and yet the Team had still struggled to defeat them. What would happen when the Team faced foes that the Justice League had troubles with?

As if summoned by their mutual worry, the Zeta-Tubes spun up to admit newcomers to the Cave. “Recognized: Batman, 0-2. Green Arrow, 0-8. Zatara, 1-1.” The golden light dissipated to reveal the three heroes, all clad in their signature uniforms. Both non-powered heroes walked, or in Green Arrow’s case limped, towards the Team while Zatara accessed the Zeta Tube network with a holographic keyboard. “Access granted. Recognized: Zatanna Zatara, A-0-4. Authorization: Zatara, 1-1.” The golden light flashed once more to reveal a young woman, around Robin’s age, wearing what was likely a Catholic school uniform: a black knee-length skirt, a matching blazer with a white blouse underneath, and black heels which clicked and clacked on the concrete floors of the Cave.

The girl stepped forward hesitantly, her brilliant blue eyes flickering over the crowd of assembled heroes. Zatara walked over to place a comforting hand on the teen’s shoulder, smiling softly as he whispered something to her. At that, the girl perked up a bit, pushing her long black hair back and standing up just a little straighter. Wally elbowed Robin in the side jovially. “Dude, check it out. Someone your age to play with.” Artemis rolled her eyes while Cassie and Conner exchanged grins. Robin, on the other hand, did not respond, his eyes hidden behind his signature domino mask.

Zatara turned to face the Team, his hand still on his daughter’s shoulder. “Zatanna, this is the Team. Team, this is my daughter Zatanna.” On that, Wonder Girl hovered over to greet the newcomer, her expression lighting up like a Christmas tree. “Hi, I’m Cassie. I mean, I’m Wonder Girl.” She glanced over to Batman apologetically: the older hero had grilled them all on revealing their secret identities to just about anyone. It was a talk that he had given Robin years ago, the talk being the reason none of them (except for Wally) knew anything about Robin’s civilian identity. Batman simply scowled, not an unusual expression for the dour hero.

Wonder Girl pressed on, still hovering a few inches off the ground. “Anyways, welcome to the Team.” She began to point to the members of the young superhero group, careful to use their codenames instead of their civilian identities. “That’s Aqualad, Superboy, Artemis, Arsenal, Kid--” The speedster in question zoomed up to shake Zatanna’s hand, yellow lightning darting around his form as usual. “Hey, nice to meet you. Name’s Kid Flash. Well, not actually, but you get the point. Say, you’re a freshman in high school, right? Well, have I got just the guy for you.”

All of this, of course, was said at high speed, so much so that everyone else almost missed it. Almost. Robin’s face reddened ever so much, while Conner and Roy shared a rare smirk. Artemis looked like she wanted to kill Wally, while Cassie and Kaldur looked back at Robin and then Zatanna with something akin to concern in their eyes. To her credit, Zatanna managed to keep calm under the intense barrage of words, even piquing her eyebrow at the last statement. “Oh really? Is it the cutie in the sunglasses over there? Robin, right?”

Robin really looked like he wanted to be anywhere else at the moment. Wally tried, but failed, to hold back his chuckles. In an effort to distract from Robin’s embarrassment, Artemis walked up and introduced herself to the new arrival, taking care to smack Wally on the back of his head. “Ouch! Watch it Arrow Girl!”

“Zip it Baywatch.” Artemis’s scowl softened into a smile once she turned her full attention to Zatanna. “Pay no attention to him. He’s all talk and no action.” Zatanna giggled softly even as Wally sputtered and scoffed at Artemis’s notion. The speedster zoomed off in a huff, reappearing next to Roy and Conner. “I’m Artemis, by the way. So… are you joining the Team?”

Zatanna opened her mouth to respond, only to be immediately cut off by Zatara. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. This is strictly a visit. However, if you have not yet begun today’s training, Zatanna could benefit from it.” Zatanna flashed her father a glare, but remained silent.

Batman nodded in response to this, bringing up the holographic computer with a simple wave of his hand. “Alright Team, you know the drill. One-on-one spars with these lineups.” A holographic projection of the different teens, arranged in pairs, appeared in front of him. Green Arrow smirked as he noticed Aqualad paired with Arsenal: his former protégé would be in for a tough fight. Robin would face off against Artemis, Wonder Girl against the Team’s resident speedster, and finally Superboy was to square off against the newcomer, Zatanna. Zatara spoke up as soon as he saw who his daughter was facing. “Batman, perhaps--”

“Emit ot yrt tuo eht wen kool!” In a flash of smoke and brilliant blue light, the teenager’s outfit transformed into a more feminine version of her father’s costume. She now wore a white shirt with a low cut yellow vest all underneath a black blazer, black mini-shorts with gray stockings, and black boots that went about midway up her calves. To top it all off, she wore a white bow tie and white gloves. Robin’s eyes widened ever so slightly, the change only noticeable to Batman and Superboy, who could also hear the boy’s heartrate pick up. Both tried their best to hold back grins. Zatanna placed her hands on her hips, giving her dad a confident smile. “Relax, dad. I can handle a sparring session. Even if it is with a Kryptonian.”

Superboy flashed her a smirk, as if to suggest otherwise. Zatanna just matched his smirk with one of her own, walking forward towards the ring. Frowning at the sound her shoes were making, she looked down at the heeled boots. “Ugh, I know these boots are adorable, but they’re not really right for a fight. Lacitcarp raewtoof won!” Just like that, the heels vanished from the magician’s boots in a puff of smoke. Robin looked just utterly impressed now, but Wally just rolled his eyes and zoomed away to quickly change into his uniform.

The yellow-clad speedster was back seconds later, sliding to a halt right next to his sparring partner. Artemis, the only one to notice the strangeness of Wally’s quick exit, looked back at him with raised eyebrows. He shrugged and mouthed “Magic.” The archer didn’t understand the speedster at all, but this took the cake. ‘I’m so gonna make him spill.’

“Places everyone.” Without another word, the four pairs got into their own corners of the massive training ring and readied themselves. Superboy, overconfidently, got into a lax fighting stance, not expecting much from the newbie. Kid Flash prepared to channel the Speed Force within him, his eyes flickering yellow as the extradimensional energy flowed through him faster and faster. He would need every ounce of speed to fight the Amazon in front of him.

“Go!” In an instant, they were off. Kid Flash immediately zoomed into action, literally running in circles around Wonder Girl to try and confuse her. While Conner might have been able to keep up with his vision abilities, Cassie was just as blind as a normal human to Wally’s motions. Meanwhile, Artemis and Robin traded a couple of blows, Robin’s experience and natural acrobatic prowess clashing with Artemis’s more powerful and targeted hits. As usual, Aqualad and Arsenal went at it like lightning, each anticipating the others’ attacks before they even had a chance to land. Eskrima sticks clashed with hard water clubs every second, both heroes trying and failing to get the upper hand.

Superboy rushed forward, moving at speeds barely comprehensible to Zatanna. In a surge of paternal instinct, Zatara stepped forward, only to have the way barred by Batman. “Let her go Zatara. She’s readier than you think.”

As if on cue, Zatanna calmly waved her hand as she spoke the magic words. “Kconk mih kcab!” An invisible wave of kinetic energy slammed into Conner, knocking the Kryptonian back on his butt. ‘What just happened?’ As he vaulted up and charged again, Zatanna understood that a different approach was called for this time. “Erif, erif, ekil a kaolc dnuorrus em!” Without warning, Zatanna became wreathed in flame, eliciting a very loud gasp from Zatara on the sidelines. Conner, on the other hand, chuckled and ran right into the fire. ‘She thinks a little fire can hurt a Kryptonian?’

Just a few seconds after entering the flames, Conner cried out. His skin wasn’t just warm: it was _burning_. Falling to his knees, the Kryptonian clone could feel his body blistering, the fire crackling around his _invulnerable_ form. As the pain began to cloud his thoughts, he could hear shouts of alarm from his teammates. ‘Not even Ojo’s heat vision could really…’ The darkness took Conner as the flames flickered away.

* * *

MOUNT JUSTICE  
OCTOBER 7, 17:05 EDT  
2020

The Team gathered around the solar chamber, the low hum of the emitters finally dying down. With a hiss, the lid rose up to reveal a fully healed, if still groggy, Superboy. The Kryptonian groaned loudly as he sat up, his hands gripping the promethium shell of the pod. “What… happened to me?” Aqualad looked to Arsenal, the other senior member of the Team, with concern: no one there knew why the super-strong teen had been affected by Zatanna’s fire cloak.

“Magic.” The circle of young heroes turned to look back at the Justice Leaguers gathered in a similar fashion a few yards away. Zatanna stood next to her father, her gaze boring into the concrete floor. Batman continued to speak despite the awkward atmosphere in the room. “I suspected that you shared Superman’s vulnerability to it, but this confirms it.”

Superboy practically vaulted out of the pod and crossed his arms in a huff. “What do you mean?” The Dark Knight stared the clone down, his eyes narrowed in the signature Bat Glare. To Conner’s credit, he held the vigilante’s gaze for much longer than the last time: almost six seconds passed before the Kryptonian’s blue eyes shifted focus to the floor.

“You possess only a few true weaknesses due to your Kryptonian DNA: one of those is magic.” Wally audibly scoffed, drawing everyone’s attention to him. The yellow-clad speedster squirmed a little under the glares from several Team members and the curious looks from the two sorcerers in the room. Nevertheless, Kid Flash spoke out. “Really? That’s what we’re going with? Abracadabra, alakazam? Hasn’t our society moved past the point where we still believe in mysticism?”

Aqualad placed a hand on Wally’s shoulder to stay him, but the super-fast redhead ignored his friend’s gesture. “Superboy was just vulnerable to the energies created by Zatanna’s ‘magic fire.’ It makes sense if you explain it with science.”

Zatara stepped forward, his face studiously controlled to hide his rising anger. “Child, you speak of what you do not understand.” Artemis also chimed in, her eyebrow piqued in annoyance. “You’re pretty closed-minded for someone who can break the sound barrier in his sneakers.” Kid Flash whirled around to address the archer’s accusation.

“First, I’ve never broken the sound barrier, but thanks for reminding me of that. Second, that’s explainable _through science_. Speedsters like Flash and I are connected to the Speed Force, the existence of which has been confirmed by research and experimentation. I didn’t just wave my hand and mutter some words to get these powers: I made myself a conduit for extradimensional energy by replicating Flash’s accident.”

Wally’s rant was interrupted by a firmer grip from Aqualad, who now decided to step in. “Kid, I studied for a year at the Conservatory of Sorcery in Atlantis. The mystic arts created the skin icons that power my water bearers. Magic can grant abilities the same way your Speed Force does.”

Red Tornado stepped forward, his mechanical voice echoing through the cavernous room. “This is true. I served with Doctor Fate in the Justice Society: his power stemmed from the Helmet of Fate, a mystical artifact whose power could not have been explained, let alone replicated, by the technology of the 1940s.” Kid Flash opened his mouth to respond, but Batman raised his hand to silence debate.

“Enough.” At that, the room fell silent. All eyes now turned to the Dark Knight, who powered up the holographic projectors in the briefing room. “I didn’t call you here to discuss the existence of magic.” Green Arrow limped up next to Batman, the two non-powered heroes falling into the traditional position of briefers. Subconsciously, the Team and Leaguers moved to face them, with Zatanna standing awkwardly next to her father. She glanced over at the Team, hoping to find a friendly face after what she did to Superboy.

Much to her shock, Robin met her brilliant gaze and flashed her a cheesy grin. A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth, her cheeks now feeling a little warm. Her eyes now turned to Batman, a surge of confidence filling the young magician.

“Last night, both Green Arrow and I encountered… something.” At that, both the holographic screens began to play video from Batman and Green Arrow’s body cams. The timestamps showed that the battles were occurring simultaneously in both Star City and Gotham. Both skirmishes were remarkably similar in the kind of enemies they were facing: a mass of shadowy figures who swarmed the heroes. Explosives merely dispersed them, other projectiles just passed through. Batman’s bone-crushing punches and kicks did nothing to deter them, their advance unrelenting in the face of mortal defiance.

Zatara’s brow furrowed as he muttered something in Italian under his breath. His daughter’s eyes widened at the very inappropriate choice of words, her shock only heightened when she caught a glimpse of Robin snickering as well. ‘He knows Italian? Guess I should expect that from the Boy Wonder.’ Kid Flash elbowed Robin to get him to shut up, his eyes never leaving the screens. Robin stopped laughing, his eyes finding Zatanna’s gaze once more. His domino mask hid his own irises, but it didn’t stop him from getting lost in her blue ones.

The videos eventually went dark, both heroes saved by the retreat of whatever creatures had fought them. Green Arrow limped forward, gesturing to the hologram. “As you can tell, these… things were mystical in nature. In addition, they seemed to be targeting these museums for specific artifacts that the League has only recently identified.”

The screens changed to now show two items: a golden amulet in the shape of a jackal’s head and a similarly colored cloak. “These two items, secured during two different archaeological digs in Egypt in the 1980s, were recently placed on loan to the Gotham City Museum of Antiquities and the Star City World History Museum. Both seem to be relics of the ancient Egyptian kingdoms, but otherwise don’t seem to possess any connection other than being targets for these shadows.”

Batman interjected. “Several magical experts affiliated with the League now seem to confirm a lingering presence of dark magic at both crime scenes. While we have not yet discovered the purpose of these artifacts, it is imperative we find this sorcerer and neutralize any potential threats.” The revelations sunk into the room, a chill running down everyone’s spines at the thought of a rogue magic user like Wotan or Felix Faust gaining more strength.

“You all will deploy to find this thief and prevent them from causing any more chaos. All relevant data is being uploaded to the Javelin’s computer banks as we speak.” Batman’s tone betrayed no room for discussion, and by now the Team knew better than to ask frivolous questions. Already suited up, the seven young heroes began to make their way to the hangar bay, only to be deterred by Zatara and Red Tornado.

The Italian-American magician sighed and placed a hand on his daughter’s shoulder. “Please, be careful Zatanna.” His eyes flickered towards the rest of the Team, a silent plea to the young heroes. Aqualad met his gaze and nodded, a solemn promise left unspoken. Zatara smiled softly, looking back at his daughter. “I am so proud of you.”

Zatanna wrapped his arms around her father, bringing him in for a surprisingly strong hug. “Don’t worry about me. After all, I learned from the best dad ever.” Zatara chuckled and returned the hug, forgetting for a moment the danger his daughter was walking into. A flicker of light enveloped the two, the spell unspoken by either magician. The magicians simply displayed the natural bond between father and daughter.

Eventually, the two broke apart, Zatara’s hand resting on his daughter’s shoulder. She smiled up at him, her eyes twinkling with excitement. “I’ll be back soon. I promise.” Without another word, Zatara nodded, tears in his eyes, and let go.

The veteran magician of the Justice League watched as his only child jogged towards the Team, already walking towards the hangar. ‘Good luck my child.’

* * *

LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY  
OCTOBER 7, 23:12 CDT  
2020

The Javelin shifted into hover mode, the cloaking still active. Arsenal turned away from the controls, readjusting his domino mask. “Alright, we’re over that magical hotspot Zatara was so kind to point us to. Scans aren’t picking up anything though.”

Kid Flash spoke up, his tone belying his frustration. “We’ve searched six other locations and found nothing. Anyone else starting to feel like we’re on a wild goose chase?” Artemis sniped back at the speedster. “Well maybe you were too slow to find anything.” Before Kid Flash could retaliate, Aqualad spoke up. “This spot was personally identified by Zatara after discovering a trail of dark magic. This time, we know there is a magic user down there. We should trust his judgement.”

Kid Flash rolled his eyes, prompting Artemis to groan and move back into the drop bay. Aqualad spared the two a glance, but quickly turned back to the problem at hand. The Atlantean powered up the holopedestal, pulling up a map of the surrounding area. The computer highlighted the target neighborhood in red. “Zatanna, we need you to scan for magical disturbances in the area. Once you find anything in the area, I want Wonder Girl and Kid Flash to find it. The rest of us will spread out through the neighborhood. Understood?”

Kid Flash nodded, sliding his goggles over his eyes, and moved back into the drop bay in a flash. Aqualad shot Zatanna a warm smile before heading back to join Kid Flash and Artemis in the drop bay. Zatanna returned a nervous smile to the Atlantean, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. Robin, readying his grapple gun, noticed her hesitation and walked over.

“Hey Zee, we’re all getting ready to deploy. You good?” The sorcerer nodded, prompting Robin to follow his teammates into the deployment area, followed quickly by Superboy and Arsenal. Breathing in and out slowly, Zatanna shut her eyes tightly. She could feel her hands clamming up, sweat forming on her forehead. This was her first mission, the first chance to shine, and she was going to blow it because of her nerves.

“You know, I got really nervous before my first mission too.” Zatanna’s eyes shot open, landing on the Amazon still leaning on the cockpit’s central console. “Threw up in the Javelin lavatory. Let me tell you, supersonic flight doesn’t mix well with pre-mission nerves, even for an Amazon.” Despite the seriousness of the situation, the magician found herself laughing at Wonder Girl’s comment. The deep hearty laugh echoed throughout the ship, setting Zatanna’s own nerves more at ease.

Wonder Girl placed her hands on her new friend’s shoulders. “Don’t worry: you’ll do great.” The Amazon’s comlink beeped twice in her ear, drawing her attention. “That’s my cue. I’ll see you out there.” Without another word, the more experienced hero strode to the drop bay door, joining the rest of the Team.

Kid Flash, already in his stealth-tech, nodded to Wonder Girl. The super-strong heroine likewise activated her own stealth-tech by pressing the golden W’s on her top. In an instant, her entire costume, save her W’s, turned black, with the letters themselves shifting to a dull gray. Striding over to the controls, Arsenal hit the button to open the drop bay doors. As the titanium panels slid apart, Kid Flash looked over to Wonder Girl with his signature grin splitting his face. “Give me a lift?”

Wonder Girl responded with a grin of her own. “Sure thing Speedy.” Before Arsenal could respond, the Amazon grabbed the back of Kid Flash’s costume and flew out of the plane, the speedster’s protests echoing through the night sky. Shaking his head, Arsenal attached a rappelling line to his belt and leapt out after the vanguard. Artemis and Aqualad soon followed, their weapons drawn and ready. Superboy turned to face the only other member of the Team in the drop bay. “You coming or what?”

Robin, glancing back to Zatanna, who was still waiting in the doorway, hesitated for a moment. Superboy, smirking a bit, patted him on the back. “Come on buddy. She’ll come down after we secure a drop zone.” The non-powered hero simply nodded and secured his rappelling line. The two males leapt out of the drop bay, leaving the magician alone in the Javelin. Breathing in and out calmly, Zatanna strode up to the open bay doors, preparing a spell in her head. “Dnecsed ot eht foor woleb!”

Her feet lifting off the floor, the sorcerer descended to meet the Team below, much to the astonishment of the young heroes. Arsenal turned to face her, clearly impressed by Zatanna’s powers. “Looks like we’ve got two fliers on the Team now.” Superboy, grumbling good-naturedly, moved to the edge of the roof and looked out over the neighborhood. A trail of lightning flashed through the streets as Kid Flash canvassed the area, supported by a black blur zipping through the sky.

Aqualad pressed a button on his belt, causing the Javelin to cloak fully above them. “Alright, you all know what to do.” Arsenal and Artemis pulled grappling arrows from their quivers, taking aim at a nearby church steeple. Seconds later, the two archers were zipping through the night sky to their overwatch position, while Superboy and Robin made their way to the street below. That left just Aqualad and Zatanna on the roof, looking out over the city.

“Are you ready Zatanna?” The magician smiled and nodded. Closing her eyes, she muttered the spell she had been preparing for the last hour. “Dael su ot eht retnecipe fo yrecros!” As her eyes opened, they flashed gold momentarily. Aqualad’s eyebrows furrowed: “Do you have a location?”

Zatanna simply turned left and leapt off the roof. “Dnecsed!” Aqualad opened a channel to the rest of the Team while following his newest teammate. “Everyone, converge on Zatanna’s position!” Not waiting for a response, the Atlantean formed dual water whips and used them to descend to the street below. Once there, he caught sight of Zatanna running into an alley a block away. Kid Flash ran up next to him, his lightning sputtering away behind him. “Where the hell is she going?”

Wonder Girl zoomed past the two of them, shouting behind her. “I’ve got her, just wait for everyone else!” The Amazon flew into the alley in question, only to see Zatanna pursuing a figure clad in a brown coat. “Zee!” The magician in question looked back at her new friend, a distraction that her target took advantage of. A wall of fire roared to life behind him, stopping Zatanna dead in her tracks. “Tup tuo eht erif!” Wonder Girl rocketed through the dying inferno, grabbing the fleeing man by the scruff of the neck. “Get off me, lass!”

Ignoring his protests, the Amazon slammed him against a nearby wall. “It’s time to talk pal!” A blast of wind and a flash of light signaled the arrival of the Team’s speedster. “Oh nice, you got him. Less… villainy than I was expecting.” Wonder Girl ignored Kid Flash’s comment and opted to slam her prisoner into the wall just a bit harder. “Knock it off!”

“Wonder Girl, that’s enough!” Aqualad ran up to the Amazon, followed soon after by the rest of the Team. Grumbling a bit, the overeager heroine let the mysterious man go, stepping back to allow Aqualad to step forward. His eyes narrowing, the Atlantean took in the man standing in front of them.

While his face was smeared with soot, likely the result of his own fire spell, his blue eyes shone brightly in the full moon’s light. He looked no older than Aqualad, but seemed to be well-traveled based on his worn-out soles and coat. His blonde hair, also laced with soot, lay disheveled atop his admittedly handsome features, adding to the scruffy rock star vibe the Team got from him. At this distance, however, Aqualad could feel what Zatanna had detected: a whiff of magic, dark magic that made the Atlantean’s tattoos tingle.

Aqualad, drawing his Water Bearers as a precaution, asked one simple question. “Who are you?”

Instead of answering, the man (or likely young adult) reached inside his coat, prompting the entire Team to fall back into a defensive stance. Zatanna prepared a simple defensive spell, the words already on her lips, when the mystery gentleman chuckled. “A jumpy lot, aren’t you?” Instead of a knife or a spell book, the British man drew… a lighter and a cigarette.

Ignoring his captors for a moment, the suspect lit his cigarette, the flame illuminating the otherwise dark alleyway for an instant. His blue eyes seemed to pulse in the low light, drawing the gaze of many on the Team. Zatanna, intrigued, stepped forward to stand right next to Aqualad: if the Team’s leader was concerned, he did not show it. At this point, Zatanna was probably their best defense against this… whatever this man was.

Growling in impatience, a certain Kryptonian stepped forward towards the mysterious Brit. “Answer the question, or I’ll ask it again. Only this time, it won’t be as nice.”

Chuckling again, the Brit took a puff and blew smoke into the air. “Very well then.” Another puff, another smoke ring floating into the Louisville night.

“The name’s John Constantine. Now, what can a bloke like me do for you heroes?”

* * *

WASHINGTON, D.C.  
OCTOBER 8, 00:13 EDT  
2020

Inside the Hall of Justice, four Leaguers recovered from an away mission to the South Pacific, where an arms deal between Intergang and North Rhodesian smugglers was supposed to take place. After touching down in a Javelin just moments ago, the four heroes took a well-deserved rest. Or so they thought.

“Green Arrow, are you feeling alright?” Aquaman, King of the Seven Seas, strode into the library with a cup of coffee for his injured friend. The Emerald Archer, sitting in an armchair with his left leg propped up, accepted it with a simple nod. “Or are you still just brooding over your protégé?”

The vigilante of Star City, rather than responding, merely narrowed his eyes and took a sip. Aquaman chuckled a little and walked over to the computer bank. “You know, they were going to grow up at some point.” Green Arrow murmured something in response, swirling his coffee around in the mug. The Atlantean opened his mouth to respond, but the sound of glass tinkling gave him pause. Green Arrow heard it too, rising to his feet with a wince and picking up his bow. Not moments later, the intruder alerts activated, alarms blaring throughout the Justice League’s Earth-bound headquarters.

“It’s in the Museum of Justice. The Hawks should already be there.” As if on que, the distant shouts of Hawkman and Hawkwoman could be heard. The two heroes exchanged a nod and rushed forward to join their comrades, Green Arrow ignoring the pain radiating up his leg. Their home was under attack, and they would not stand idly by.

Bursting into the Museum first, Aquaman ducked just in time to avoid a red energy blast, which slammed into the wall behind him and detonated. Green Arrow, watching his friend dodge enemy fire, readied two explosive arrows and fired as he himself dove into the room. The arrows soared towards their target, a shadowy mass in the middle of the room, only to detonate in mid-air. ‘Damn, those things are back again.’

While the smaller shadow creatures swarmed the two Thanagarians, who were beating them away with their weapons and those failing, their fists. Green Arrow groaned and focused his attention on the new threat: a much larger cousin to the wolf-sized creatures that had attacked him last night. Aquaman charged the bear-sized shadow head-on, only to be knocked back by a massive tendril of darkness. The archer drew two flashbang arrows and fired them into the ground about five yards from the massive creature, shouting out a warning to his fellow Leaguers. “Fire in the hole!”

The arrows detonated in a cacophony of sound and burst of white light, causing the smaller shadows to shrink back. However, the larger shadow seemed unaffected, lashing out at the Hawks with two energy blasts which sent them flying. The red energy, its shape not unlike a raging fire, seemed to pulse around the creature, belying some kind of magical properties. “I’m getting too old for this,” Green Arrow grumbled as he spun to avoid a tendril crashing down from above. About three seconds later, another one struck the hero of Star City in the chest, sending him into a nearby display case.

“Arrow!” Aquaman leapt at the entity, hoping to draw its attention, but was too swatted aside. Pushing himself to his feet quickly, the Atlantean only saw red. The magical blast consumed him in a brief burst of flame, weakening the aquatic hero enough for a knockout blow. With the Leaguers dispatched, the large shadow pulsed, as if pleased, and moved towards the display cases.

* * *

LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY  
OCTOBER 7, 23:17 CDT  
2020

“So, you lot are looking for a magician who uses shadows as minions? Well, _that_ sure narrows it down.” Constantine took a puff from his cigarette and slowly let out a stream of smoke. “I don’t envy your job tonight, that’s for sure.”

Superboy crossed his arms over his chest and grunted. “Assuming it’s not you.” That elicited a laugh from the British man, who shook his head and waved his hand noncommittally. “I’m no master of the dark arts. More like a petty dabbler.”

Zatanna spoke up then, having had enough of Constantine’s stalling. “Then why did my father’s locator spell lead us here, to you?” The British magician seemed honestly taken aback by the question. Walking away from the group, he took one final puff from his cigarette before flicking it to the ground. “I’m not sure. Let’s find out, shall we?”

Muttering something in an ancient tongue, the blonde Brit closed his eyes in concentration. Superboy’s ears perked up: even with all of the languages the G-Gnomes had stuffed into his mind, he didn’t know what the magician was saying. Aqualad asked the Kryptonian: “What is he doing?”

“Chanting away in some dead language. Even I don’t recognize it.” Zatanna stepped forward and muttered a spell of her own. “Laever eht eugnot!” Constantine smiled as he finished the incantation, his hands now glowing faintly with arcane energy. “I’ll save you the trouble: it’s Aramaic, love.”

Kid Flash groaned. “Great, now we’ve got ancient ‘magic.’ What’s next, we find out the Easter Bunny is real?” Artemis elbowed him, ignoring his shout of protest afterward. Unperturbed by the speedster’s comment, Constantine moved his hands in an intricate pattern. Once the spell was complete, he scoffed. “Huh, didn’t think that would happen. You lot are chasing one talented sorcerer: I can’t seem to pinpoint them anywhere.”

Robin snickered. “Maybe you’re not as good as you think.” The Brit affixed the boy with a cold glare. “I spent the last week tracking the Demons Three, a threat your Justice League doesn’t even know about. Even the sorcerer bloke, Zatara, remains… ignorant to the darker sides of the occult. Probably why you’re here and not at your precious Hall of Justice.”

Superboy stepped forward and hoisted the magician into the air with one hand. “Enough with your games! What’s at the Hall?”

Constantine chuckled. “Only one of the most powerful magical artifacts on Earth. And yet you lot keep it in a glass display case for the entire world to see.”

Robin paled a little. “He’s right: the Necronomicon is at League HQ. They took it from Wotan during one of their battles, and kept it to make sure…” Already, Aqualad was opening a channel to the Hall. “Aqualad to Hall: what is the situation there? Is the Necronomicon secure, over?”

Static continued to answer as Superboy let Constantine go, the Brit landing on his feet somewhat gracefully. “Told you lot, this bloke is good. But if he can unlock the darker parts of that book, he’ll be bloody unstoppable.” Wonder Girl cleared her throat loudly and raised an eyebrow inquisitively. “What makes you so sure it’s a man?”

Constantine laughed heartily at that. “My mistake love. Sometimes I forget that we’re living in a better era. My apologies.” Wonder Girl exchanged a knowing glance with Artemis and Zatanna, all of whom smiled at the man’s response. Superboy harrumphed, crossing his arms over his broad chest. ‘Stupid magician.’

Aqualad turned to the British man once more. “Can you help us find them?” Constantine looked at Superboy, who kept his distrustful gaze focused on him, and then to Zatanna, who seemed more curious about the sorcerer’s abilities. “Aye, I can help. Just give me a day or two to scrounge up some materials for a decent locator spell.”

Without another word, Constantine began to walk away. Zatanna piped up now. “How will you contact us?” The Brit chuckled: “I’ll find a way.”

* * *

MOUNT JUSTICE  
OCTOBER 8, 19:12 EDT  
2020

“The suspect managed to get away with the Necronomicon in tow, and defeated four Leaguers in a relatively short amount of time. So let me be absolutely clear: if your contact finds this creature’s location, _do not engage_. Call the League and let us handle it.” Batman stood in front of the assembled heroes, none of whom would meet his gaze. “Do you understand?”

Aqualad nodded. Batman narrowed his eyes at the Atlantean leader. “Good. Now, remain here with Red Tornado until this John Constantine reaches out. Zatara will remain on the Watchtower to scry for any magical signatures, but given recent events it’s clear that even his magic has limitations.” Without speaking again, the Dark Knight whirled around, his cape fluttering around him as he stalked towards the Zeta-Tubes. “I will be in Gotham for the night. Contact Zatara on the Watchtower once you have any relevant intel.”

The Zeta-Tube whirled to life as a white light swallowed up the Caped Crusader. “Recognized: Batman, 0-2.” As the light faded away, Kid Flash groaned. “See, they still don’t trust us to handle the problem.” Even as the rest of the Team shifted awkwardly, clearly trying to hide their own feelings on the subject, the Team’s leader spoke softly.

“It is important that we find this foe. How he or she are taken down is not.” He turned to look at his teammates, his friends, with a calm, unflinching gaze. “Do what you must to prepare. We have to be ready to deploy to Constantine’s location.” Artemis, Arsenal, and Robin nodded, all departing to ready their gear. Wonder Girl lifted off the ground and took off to the kitchens, clearly looking to get one last snack in. Kid Flash made to follow, only to be stopped by Kaldur’s insistent touch upon his shoulder. “Kid, wait.”

The impatient speedster groaned, but turned to face his friend. The Atlantean had adopted a stern look, one that somewhat frightened Wally. “I know that you do not believe in magic, but if we end up engaging a foe tonight, I want your head in the game. This is a serious threat, and you shouldn’t underestimate them because they use a power that you do not feel is valid.”

Kid Flash opened his mouth to respond, but Aqualad pressed on. “The truth is, with Superboy’s vulnerability to magic, you and Wonder Girl will be our two strongest assets.” Finally releasing the speedster, he gestured to the kitchen behind Wally. A soft smile replaced his previously dour expression: “So go eat.” Kid Flash’s eyes lit up in joy, nodding vigorously before zooming off in a flash of yellow. Shaking his head slightly, Aqualad began to walk towards the computer banks until he heard a nearly silent sigh.

Looking over his shoulder, he noticed the Team’s resident Kryptonian sulking near the hallway leading to the garage. Still wearing his civilian clothing, Conner turned to the Team’s leader, a pensive look on his face. Aqualad, powering up the computers in the mission room, spoke softly, knowing that the Kryptonian could hear him regardless. “What troubles you Superboy?”

Conner strode up to stand next to the Atlantean, watching as his friend accessed League data about the attack on the Hall of Justice. The Kryptonian stood by Aqualad’s side without uttering a word. For a few moments, the silence held, but eventually the younger hero spoke up. “I can stay behind if you want.”

Aqualad turned to his comrade with an eyebrow piqued in interest. Superboy continued with a downcast expression. “I’m just a liability out there. I don’t want to get in the way.” The Atlantean paused for a moment before responding.

“If you believe that you would serve us better here, then you may stay behind.” He placed a comforting hand on his friend’s shoulder as he continued to speak. “But you are more than just your powers Conner. You are a skilled fighter and courageous beyond measure. You will always be welcome by my side in battle, no matter the enemy.”

With that, Superboy looked puzzled. Aqualad decided to leave him to his thoughts and moved to exit the room. Before he walked into the kitchen, he turned back to look back at Conner, who looked down at his hands, palms splayed open. Kaldur silently hoped that his friend would make the right choice, before joining his teammates in the kitchen.

* * *

MOUNT JUSTICE  
OCTOBER 8, 21:04 EDT  
2020

For possibly the fiftieth time that night, Kid Flash groaned as he “paced” around the room. “When is this Constantine guy going to reach out? I feel like I need another dinner.” Artemis looked up from tuning her bow with an incredulous stare. “You ate a _whole_ chicken, and two loaves of bread, yet you need more food.”

Wally stopped running for a second to look at Artemis with a huge grin plastered on his face. “Running this fast and looking this good takes a lot of calories there, Goddess of the Hunt.” Artemis huffed and went back to her delicate preparations, rolling her eyes at Wally’s continued ridiculousness. Meanwhile, Kid Flash continued to run slowly (by his standards) around the briefing room, only the briefest flickers of lightning seen in his speed trail.

Arsenal and Robin, both fully equipped for combat, entered the cavernous chamber from the locker room. The Boy Wonder flashed Artemis a smile before calling out to his speedster friend. “Hey KF, stop running and come check this out!” Almost immediately, the yellow streak zoomed over at top speed to the younger hero, sliding to a halt with near-perfect precision.

“What do you got?” Robin proudly held up small blue plastic spheres, one of which Wally swiped from his friend’s hand. “They are high-intensity light pulse emitters. Small, intense bursts of light disrupt these shadow things, so hopefully we’ll be feeling the aster tonight.” Kid Flash audibly scoffed, tossing the bomb back to his friend. “Dude, whatever these things are, what makes you think the League will let us fight them? They laid out four Leaguers like they were nothing.”

Robin grumbled and put his secret weapon back into a pouch on his utility belt. Kid Flash glanced over at Artemis, who was carefully inspecting one of her arrows. Robin piped up again, a slight grin on his face, drawing his friend’s attention once more. “So you really think the League will be able to handle this guy? Like you said, he took out some veteran Leaguers last night. Maybe they’ll need a team that can operate more on the sly.”

Before Kid Flash could respond, most likely with some snarky comment on magic, an alarm blared. “INTRUDER ALERT. INTRUDER ALERT.” In merely a second, Wally and Robin snapped to combat readiness: the speedster’s eyes took in his surroundings at super speed, while his nonpowered friend whipped out two Batarangs from his utility belt.

“Pipe down lads, I’m only here to help.” A fiery circle opened up on the floor in front of them, causing both to take two steps back in alarm. Out of the hellhole (Robin thought it looked like one!) stepped a familiar scruffy figure. The handsome yet haunted face of John Constantine was graced with a roguish grin as he came to stand in front of the pair of heroes. With a loud crack and a waft of sulfur and brimstone, the portal behind him snapped shut.

The now-familiar sound of a bowstring being pulled taught reached Robin and Kid Flash’s ears. Artemis pointed a very sharp arrow at Constantine’s back, her voice echoing across the room in an intimidating growl. “Step back.” Without a touch of fear, the sorcerer turned to face the younger archer. Raising his hands in a placating gesture, Constantine did as he was told, moving back just as the rest of the Team rushed into the room.

Aqualad sheathed his Water-Bearers as soon as he caught sight of the rogue magician, also motioning to his teammates to do the same. Somewhat reluctantly, Artemis lowered her bow, glancing over at her fellow archer for support. To her surprise, Arsenal casually lounged about, having not even bothered to draw an arrow in defense of his teammates. ‘How can he trust this guy? Especially after those creatures attacked Green Arrow?’

Superboy and Wonder Girl, for their part, looked extremely put out that the intruder turned out to be Constantine. The Kryptonian clone stomped towards Constantine, who wisely began to back away slowly. Wonder Girl zoomed forward to stop him, only to find no need: Superboy stopped just short of the sorcerer, crossing his arms and sizing the other man up. His attempt at intimidation seemed to work: the older British man nearly fell over himself getting away from the imposing alien.

“What did you bring us, John?” Zatanna was the last hero to enter the room, already dressed in her uniform, and walked to Robin’s side. Constantine chuckled nervously and pulled a cigarette out from one of his many pockets. “I found your sorcerer.” He fumbled a little with the lighter, only to find, after a whoosh of wind, the cigarette missing from his mouth.

“We’ve got a pretty strict no smoking policy in the mountain.” Kid Flash flicked the unlit cigarette away, his grin lighting up the room. Against her better judgement, Artemis found herself matching the speedster’s smile. Robin noticed this out of the corner of his eye, his lips twisting up in a cheeky grin for merely a second before returning his attention to the sorcerer in front of them.

“Anyways, the bloke is holed up on Roanoke Island. And he’s not alone.” The blond-haired magician shoved his hands in his pockets. “That place is lousy with dark magic, even more than usual. If you want to catch the wanker, now’s the time.”

Aqualad turned to speak into his comlink, while Zatanna muttered a spell under her breath. “He’s right: something doesn’t feel right.” Kid Flash zoomed to the monitor, opening up a map of the southern United States. His fingers blurred as he inputted command after command into the computer. “Spectrographic analysis is picking up an unknown energy source at Roanoke. It’s building by the minute, but I can’t seem to get a read on it.” Sure enough, a purple dot, growing brighter by the second, flashed on-screen over the home of the lost colony.

Aqualad spoke up, having finished his discussion. “The League is also aware, but a response team is still at least twenty minutes out.” Constantine shook his head. “By then it’ll be too late. I can get you all there right now, but we’ll have to hurry.”

The young heroes of the Team looked at one another: could they really disobey another direct order? One by one, they turned to await their leader’s instructions, putting all of their trust in Aqualad. The dark-skinned Atlantean sighed loudly, his pale green eyes shutting for just a moment. “Is there any other way?”

The Brit didn’t hesitate to answer. “If you want to catch him, this is the only way, mate.”

“Then do it.”

Constantine, despite the general sense of foreboding at the coming battle, smiled. “Cheers.”

Without warning, the British magician began to chant in Aramaic, his hands glowing with arcane energy. Once again, the floor split open to reveal a fiery pit, seemingly bottomless and dark as the dead of night. “Stop wasting time and get in there.”

Aqualad set the example by jumping in without a second thought, followed quickly by his best friend Arsenal. Kid Flash zoomed up to the portal, dipping his toe into the supposed hole. Artemis walked up next to the speedster, holstering her bow in preparation for the journey. “You scared of a little magic, man of science?” Wally scoffed, withdrawing his foot and crossing his arms.

“Ever hear of quantum entanglement?” The archer groaned, rolling her gray eyes so far back that Wally thought she was possessed. Without warning, she shoved the speedster into the hole, his scream quickly silenced by whatever magics kept the portal open. She turned back to her remaining teammates and grinned. “Knew I could shut him up.”

Artemis turned and leapt into the abyss without a trace of fear, leaving her remaining teammates with Constantine, who was still deep in concentration. Robin turned to Zatanna, extending his arm out and bowing slightly. “After you.” The magician smiled a little at the boy’s antics, but nevertheless followed her new teammates into the unknown. The Boy Wonder shot Superboy and Wonder Girl a signature grin before likewise vanishing, leaving the two superpowered teens behind.

Wonder Girl glided over to the portal, staring down into its depths with a mixture of fear and excitement. Her Kryptonian teammate joined her soon after, his expression carefully schooled to betray no emotions. The blonde looked over to see Superboy’s bright blue eyes staring blankly down at his feet, not even looking into the abyss. Without thinking, she reached over and grabbed his hand, squeezing gently. “You can do this Conner.”

The Kryptonian smiled: even when he doubted himself, he could always count on his friends, could always count on her. Squaring his shoulders and standing up to his full height, he gave her a soft smile. “Let’s do this.”

Their hands still intertwined, they leapt together.

* * *

ROANOKE ISLAND  
OCTOBER 8, 21:10 EDT  
2020

The two super-strong heroes emerged from the abyss instantaneously, their voyage passing before even Superboy’s enhanced senses could register a change. Now that their journey was complete, though, he knew that their surroundings had shifted. Gone was the familiar hum of electronics within the Cave’s walls, the faint smell of the diner in Happy Harbor, and the feel of the solid concrete beneath his feet. Instead, all he registered was odd smells and sounds, accompanied by a tingling which radiated across his entire body. Something was wrong.

Wonder Girl immediately let go of his hand and zoomed towards their teammates, who had gathered in a circle not very far from the now closing portal. Superboy spun around to shout into the abyss. “Constantine, where are you?” The hole snapped shut with a spurt of flame, silently mocking the Kryptonian. The alien clone turned and joined his team, grumbling something about punching the Brit in the face the next time he saw him.

Robin opened his holographic computer, pulling up a spectrographic analysis of the area. “We seem to already be in the epicenter of whatever event is occurring, but nothing is here.” Artemis and Arsenal both drew their bows, Aqualad doing the same with his Water-Bearers. As the Team began to reconnoiter, Zatanna brought a hand up to her forehead, winching loudly. Robin glanced over in concern, but the sorcerer waved him off. “I’m fine, it’s just the magic in the area.”

Aqualad nodded. “Yes, I can sense it too. It is ancient, and dark.” Wonder Girl looked down at her magical bracers, both slightly hot from the amount of ambient magical energy. Superboy looked into the tall corn surrounding their position, which seemed to be some kind of farm road. “Does anyone else have a bad feeling about this?”

Before anyone could respond, a loud crackling rippled through the air. In a flash, all of the Team switched into combat mode, eyes darting about for a target. “I can’t believe you heroes! You actually fell for it!”

Superboy bellowed into the night sky. “Who are you?!” Zatanna first noticed it, the sickly pooling of dark magic into such a small space, before anyone else. Soon, even the non-magically attuned of the group sensed the change: cold seeped into their bones, the stars dimmed in the night sky, and the moon turned blood-red. Artemis and Arsenal went back-to-back, aiming explosive arrows at any shadow that so much as wavered. Robin reached into his utility belt to grab his flashbangs, while his speedster friend uncharacteristically stood still, searching for a target.

The cackling returned, accompanied by an icy-cold breeze which caused the cornstalks to sway back and forth. Arsenal growled and looked to their leader. “Kaldur, I’m not liking this.” Aqualad nodded in agreement, bringing his hand up to his ear to activate his comlink. “Aqualad to Monitor, come in Monitor.” A loud screech of static was all he heard before the feed cut out entirely.

“Sorry kiddies, the grown-ups can’t save you today.” For the first time, the voice came from a specific direction: in the midst of the group. Suddenly, a pulse of energy knocked all of them back, clearing a large swath of ground just in time for a blood-red portal to open wide. Superboy growled in anger: “Constantine…”

Much to his surprise, the creature that stepped out was not the British magician. In fact, it wasn’t even human, despite first appearances. The boy was tall for his supposed age, his gangly arms holding a purring ginger cat close to his chest. His angular face betrayed no non-human traits, that is until you saw his hair. Poking up through the mop of black hair were two sharp horns, black as night, which curved slightly as they rose above his ears. His black eyes took in the scene as the portal vanished into thin air behind him.

“Well, well, well, if it isn’t the baby heroes.” His voice was grating, that of a teenage boy just going through puberty, but contained a sense of malice and ancient power that sent a chill up the spines of every hero present. Still, true to form, the Team quickly recovered from their shock, weapons now aimed squarely at the unknown threat. The boy gave an exaggerated yawn, his eyes glazing over with a sense of… malicious boredom?

Aqualad, his water swords now ready to strike, stepped forward. “Who are you, and why have you brought us here?” The boy’s pupils dilated slightly as he took in the Atlantean warrior standing proudly against him. “The name’s Klarion, and you’ll find out who I am soon. But first, let’s get a little privacy.”

Snapping his fingers, Klarion summoned a blood-red dome around him. Now shielded by his arcane power, the mysterious sorcerer got to work: letting his cat go, the boy reached into his coat pocket and withdrew a mysterious gem, which gleamed in the dull crimson light. His wicked grin on fully display, the witch boy planted the gem firmly into the ground beneath him. As soon as he stood back up, a complicated series of runes flashed to life beneath his feet, all contained within a blood-red pentagram. Klarion’s hands glowed the same vicious color, his black eyes gleaming with malice.

Aqualad had enough: “Go! Get the gem!” Kid Flash rubbed his hands together. “Finally.” Before anyone else could even blink, the speedster zoomed forward, his lightning crackling around him. Rather than charging the shield directly, Kid Flash ran circles around the dome, looking for some flaw at super speed. Seeing no visible energy fluctuations, he peeled off, running somewhat further away before sliding to a stop.

Meanwhile, the two strongest Team members had no special strategy: they ran forward and began slamming their fists into the barrier. Much to their dismay, rather than hitting a solid surface, Superboy and Wonder Girl felt like they were punching rubber. The dome would bend inwards but then snap back into position right away. Aqualad sliced at the shield with his swords, but instead found an unyielding barrier. Withdrawing, the Atlantean took stock of the situation.

“It reacts differently to each attack.” He looked back to Robin and Zatanna, both still waiting to jump into the fight. “Robin, Zatanna, scan this barrier and find its weakness!”

Inside the dome, Klarion cackled again. “You think that some kiddy magic or some super-strong bozos will be enough to get to me? You’re funny.” Thrusting his glowing hands towards the ground, Klarion summoned a stream of energy which flowed into the gem.

A seismic wave knocked the heroes back, invisible magic flowing outwards from the dome to encompass half of the island. “Do you want to know why I brought you here? I’ll show you!”

The wind began to blow even more harshly, the dull roar drowning out Klarion’s mad cackling. The sky split asunder, the stars flickering out at first and the moon now weeping blood. As if on cue, a curtain of darkness began to close in a circle around a large portion of the island. Kid Flash tried to run away but couldn’t make it to the border before the outside world vanished from their view. Zatanna fell to her knees, clutching her head as she cried out in agony.

Superboy, much to his surprise, also fell on his hands and knees. His head began to _ache_ from the inside out, a feeling completely alien to the Kryptonian. He swallowed back bile that surged up in his throat. ‘What is happening to me?’

Aqualad’s tattoos seemed to dim, whether from the lack of light from the now dark heavens or from the Atlantean’s own power flickering. All of the heroes assembled now felt cold seep deep into their bones, yet their skins burned as if the noon day sun was bearing down upon them. The archers, not hesitating for a moment, let loose a volley of explosive arrows, trying to crack the dome and get to the sorcerer inside.

Klarion, snapping his fingers, now appeared before them in a flash of crimson light. “You bore me.” With another snap, the _shadows_ of the archers came to life, drawing bows made of inky black ichor. Before a horrified look could even register on their faces, the two real archers found themselves staring down their featureless doppelgangers. Klarion smirked. “Goodbye.”

Before the shadows could lodge their arrows in their targets’ hearts, a living bolt of lightning crashed right into them. Rather than being knocked to the ground, the shadows merely dissipated like mist, if only for a few seconds. Kid Flash slid to a stop, his eyes narrowed in a challenge to the witch boy. “Ahhh, the fast one. I have something just for you.”

The speedster zoomed forward without a second thought, only to fall flat on his face. An impossibly heavy anchor had somehow materialized around his ankles, effectively immobilizing the super-fast hero. Klarion loomed menacingly over the trapped teen, his hands glowing red with arcane might. “Get away from him!”

Klarion zipped away using a red portal to avoid Wonder Girl’s devastating punch. Instead of striking the sorcerer, Wonder Girl flew straight into a deep pool of concrete which had appeared beneath her. The Amazon managed to get her head out of the pool before it suddenly solidified, trapping her body in a cold embrace.

Klarion rematerialized next to a stunned Aqualad. “Well, what do we have here? I haven’t ever played with an Atlantean.” The floating witch boy clenched his fist above Aqualad’s head.

Suddenly, all of Aqualad’s muscles seized up, rendering him immobile. His tattoos began to glow a sickly red, the same bloody color as Klarion’s magic. “I… I can’t move!” Robin, at this point still tending to Zatanna, now turned around and saw his friend at the whim of the enemy sorcerer. “Hey, hook ‘em horns! Pick on someone your own size!”

Flinging three Batarangs at Klarion, Robin despaired to see Aqualad turn and smoothly deflect the projectiles with his water swords. Klarion waggled his finger at the young hero. “Now, now: you wouldn’t want to hurt your friend now, would you?” Robin’s eyes widened beneath his domino mask as his Atlantean comrade-in-arms lurched forward to attack him, forcing him to flip away. Aqualad, his face straining in concentration, turned to the still kneeling Zatanna, who had stopped screaming sometime before.

“Zatanna, move!” Aqualad’s desperate cry only caused Klarion to laugh. “She just knows to quit now. Put her out of her misery.” Despite the Atlantean’s desperate attempt to stop, he raised his swords above his head. “Zatanna!”

* * *

Zatanna’s head snapped up just as the blades began to fall, her eyes flashing white for a moment. “Pots gnittih flesruoy!” Much to both Aqualad’s and Klarion’s shock, the Atlantean’s tattoos dimmed, both of his swords dissipating into harmless water. Then, Aqualad’s own fist rocketed up and hit him in the face, knocking him down. Stunned, the Atlantean remained prone on the ground, unable to move as Klarion’s magic still swirled throughout his muscles.

The witch boy sighed, snapping once more. Much to his surprise, his puppet struggled ever so slightly to get up. “Impressive, kid. But your baby magic is no match for mine.”

Zatanna’s blue eyes shone with defiance as she turned to face her enemy. “I guess we’ll just have to find out.” Her eyes flashed again as she recited off a spell. “Esaeler ym dneirf!” Aqualad’s tattoos flickered between crimson and their normal blue, before settling back into that disturbing blood-red shade.

Klarion cackled as he made a shooing motion with his hand. At that, the Atlantean began to swing at Zatanna with his reformed water swords. The magician narrowly dodged the first blow, only to find herself at Aqualad’s mercy just a second later. “Get away from her!”

Robin flipped over Zatanna, whipping his eskrima sticks around to block Aqualad’s next attack. The younger hero, smaller but more skilled than his opponent, expertly twisted and twirled away from attacks before delivering carefully placed strikes to critical points. Slowly, the controlled Atlantean, even with his enhanced durability, found it painful to move. Klarion, for all his power, simply did not possess the mind of an expert combatant like Robin.

His puppet clearly in over his head, and Superboy picking himself up behind him, Klarion vanished in a flash of light. Rematerializing within his bubble shield, the witch boy mocked the assembled heroes with a couple of claps. “Bravo, bravo, little heroes. You’ve shown yourself to not be total losers.”

Aqualad gasped loudly as Klarion’s mystical control lifted, falling to his knees while his tattoos faded to black. Robin stood down, sheathing his eskrima sticks to help his friend up from the ground. “You good Aqualad?”

The bruised Atlantean bit back a wince and nodded, fixing his fiery gaze on the sorcerer responsible for his injuries. Looking around, Robin noticed that nearly half of the Team was down for the count. Kid Flash and Wonder Girl remained immobilized by their traps, while both archers continued their battle with their shadowy doppelgangers. Superboy managed to get to his feet but pressed his palm deep into his right temple, betraying his migraine.

Zatanna cast a few spells at the dome, all to no avail. Klarion remained untouchable.

“What do we do now?” The magician was at a loss: her powers were nothing compared to the witch boy’s. She had never seen such mystical might in her life, her father possessing not even a tenth of this mysterious attacker’s strength. If they didn’t figure something out quickly, they were done for.

Aqualad pointed to Kid Flash and Wonder Girl, still struggling mightily against their restraints. “Free those two. Robin, go help Arsenal and Artemis. Superboy and I will deal with this sorcerer.” Zatanna nodded, sprinting as fast as she could over to the trapped speedster, who was vibrating his body in an attempt to phase out of the shackle connecting him to the anchor.

Zatanna muttered a spell, her hands moving slowly over the giant chain. “Yam eht niahc pans ekil sgiwt!” The black iron twisted around a little, but Kid Flash still found himself locked up. Grimacing, he redoubled his efforts to phase out. Still, nothing happened, except for a trickle of blood starting to flow from both nostrils.

Meanwhile, Robin, having ran over to join the ongoing battle against the shadows, tossed two of his light grenades into the fray. “Fire in the hole!” A second after both archers squeezed their eyes shut, an intense pulse of light caused the shadows to screech in agony. Their forms broke down for a moment, losing any distinct humanoid shape, before they managed to reconstitute.

Robin grinned like a madman before leaping at the closer of the two enemies, swiping through the reforming doppelganger of Artemis with a chop. Landing behind “her,” he pivoted to land a kick in the center of “her” back, only to hit air. The shadow hissed and spun to lash out at Robin with “her” bow, managing to catch him in the arm as he twirled away. The blow stung, much to the hero’s shock.

Artemis’s shadow pressed the attack, smoothly drawing arrow after arrow to fire at the retreating Boy Wonder. Activating another flashbang, Robin whipped it over his shoulder without even looking. The familiar burst of white light stunned the shadow for longer this time, but “she” still managed to reform and press the attack. “Guys, I am so not feeling the aster right now.”

Arsenal shot a flashbang arrow into the ground in front of his shadowy nemesis, dissipating “him” for only a second. “We need a better plan than firing flashbangs at these guys all night long.” Robin huffed and flipped back towards both archers, narrowly dodging shadow arrows as he did. “I’m open to suggestions!”

Artemis spoke up, while at the same time firing an explosive arrow at her doppelganger. “I think I might have something for this.” Arsenal looked over to his younger counterpart, giving her a nod as confirmation of her plan. Without missing a beat, Arsenal swung over to cover his fellow archer as she sheathed her bow and reached into her utility belt. She withdrew an oblong metal cylinder studded with little LEDs. “Watch your eyes!”

Arsenal and Robin both activated a shielding function in their masks, protecting them from the oncoming attack. Artemis hurled the cylinder in an upwards arc and then drew her bow from her side in one smooth motion. “Here goes nothing,” she muttered as she depressed a button near the center of the bow. The cylinder flashed once, then twice, then three times, with bright white light. The shadows howled and shrieked in agony, but unlike the previous attacks, the pulses of light kept coming. After the fifth burst, the doppelgangers were just amorphous blobs of dark ichor. After the seventh, they had once again become two-dimensional. After the ninth, they vanished altogether.

Finally victorious, the three non-powered heroes shared a grin with one another before rushing over to Zatanna and Kid Flash, still struggling to get the speedster free. No matter what spell she tried, Zatanna just couldn’t get the metal to budge. For his part, Kid Flash found it no easier to phase out of the anchor than the walls of STAR Labs when he first discovered his powers.

“Kid! Stop trying to phase, you’re just tiring yourself out!” Robin withdrew his explosive gel from his utility belt, spraying some on one of the chain links. But, even after detonating the powerful explosive, Robin found the iron completely unaffected. The speedster groaned and thumped his head on the ground. “I hate magic.”

Despite the dire situation, the Boy Wonder decided to poke fun at his friend. “Oh, so _now_ you believe in magic?” All he got in response was a stern glare from the red-headed teen. Arsenal chuckled and pulled an explosive arrow from his quiver, alarming Artemis. “Are you crazy? You’ll blow his leg off with that!”

Arsenal merely piqued his eyebrow in interest. “I didn’t know you cared so much about Baywatch.” His comment was only meant to tease a little, but Arsenal was shocked when the blonde archer full-on _blushed_. For his part, Wally managed to look both embarrassed and smug at the same time, quickly deflating the awkwardness of the situation.

Arsenal didn’t wait for anyone else to comment before firing the arrow at the chain. The explosion, clearly much more focused than usual due to Arsenal’s tweaking, still did nothing. The metal wasn’t even scratched. “Damn this magic iron. Robin, you got any acid in that utility belt of yours?”

Wonder Girl, still struggling mightily against the concrete prison she was trapped in, spoke up. “Um, can a girl get a little help here? Zee? Anyone?”

Zatanna’s eyes lit up with remorse. “Oh no, Wonder Girl!” Both Robin and she ran over to their trapped friend, whose head shook back and forth as she tried to move her body trapped below. “Esaeler ym dneirf!” Much to the magician’s shock, the magic holding the Amazon dissipated rather easily. Spit out by the concrete trap, Wonder Girl hovered above the ground with a fire in her eyes. “Thanks Zee. Now, I’ve got a witch boy to pummel.”

Without further ado, the Amazon flew towards the shield, where both Superboy and Aqualad continued to probe Klarion’s defenses. Much to her chagrin, the witch boy was lounging on a conjured chair, as if he was waiting for something. ‘Cocky prick. We’ve dealt with most of his tricks but he’s acting like nothing happened.’

Wonder Girl’s fist slammed into the barrier at full force. The bubble bent inwards like it had before, but Cassie would not be deterred. Flying around the shield, she pummeled the dome at speeds nearly incomprehensible to the human eye. Superboy looked up in amazement as the blonde began to wear at Klarion’s defense. Aqualad poured on the attacks as well, slicing and dicing the constantly repairing energy shield surrounding the mysterious witch boy. With the Team’s two strongest members now helping, there was no way that the shield would remain up for long.

Klarion sprung to his feet, anger alight in his eyes. “You dare?!” The ground began to shake: no, the _whole world_ began to shake, with the sound of Klarion’s voice. “You’ve done it now kiddies! Now you get…” The witch boy’s voice trailed off as he looked up into the darkened heavens with a grin brightening his face. “Finally.”

A brilliant flash of light, rivaling the noonday sun in intensity, painted the black skies gold for a moment. As the glow vanished, the Team lowered their hands to witness a man floating calmly above them. His golden cape fluttered behind him as he made his descent, eyes peering from behind a bright golden helmet which covered the rest of his head. His uniform, entirely blue and gold, seemed to shimmer in stark contrast to the darkness surrounding him.

His voice, deep and possessing an ancient yet familiar quality, boomed forth from beneath the helm. “Klarion, your time has come.”

* * *

Klarion’s mouth stretched out in a rictus grin, his white teeth bared to the world. “Nabu. So kind of you to join us. Was your little trip fun?” Slowly, he levitated himself up through his dome to meet the mysterious stranger in mid-air.

“Enough, witch boy. I’ve come to stop this chaos.” The stranger thrust his hands out towards Klarion, palms facing outwards. A giant yellow ankh, a symbol used heavily in ancient Egyptian mythology, manifested in front of the sorcerer, eliciting a gasp from Zatanna. “No, it can’t be…”

Klarion likewise readied himself for battle, his hands glowing with insidious dark magic. “Well, may the best Lord win, my dear Doctor Fate.” And like that, the two beings entered into an all-out slug fest. Doctor Fate attempted to trap Klarion in his ankh construct, but the witch boy avoided the sorcerer’s trap to fire off an energy blast at the caped hero.

As the battle above raged on, energies far beyond the young heroes’ comprehensions clashing in brilliant colors, the Team regrouped around the still trapped Wally. “So…” The speedster propped himself up on his elbows, still prone and chained to an infinitely heavy anchor. “Who is this mysterious savior of ours?”

Zatanna stared up in amazement at the sheer power of the two magic wielders. “That’s Doctor Fate, one of the original members of the Justice Society of America.” At that, Kid Flash perked up noticeably.

“Wait, really? Here? But that’s…” Both Robin and Artemis finished his sentence for him: “Impossible?”

Kid Flash shook his head in disbelief. “That means he would be pushing on at least a hundred and ten, if not older. That’s just not possible, even for a metahuman.” Zatanna simply shook her head, not looking away from the battle of the two magic masters. “The Helmet of Fate gives Doctor Fate more power than I can even wrap my head around.”

Superboy grunted and walked forward to inspect Wally’s bonds. “What is this stuff made of, adamantium?” Kid Flash snorted: “Not likely, since that’s a fictional metal Conner. Probably promethium or some X-element we don’t know about. Klarion might not be magic, but he does have some pretty sweet powers.”

Conner merely nodded in reply before drawing back a fist and punching one of the chain links as hard as he could. Expecting resistance, the shocked hero felt his punch reverberate through the chain, shattering the entire thing. Even the shackle attacked to Wally’s ankle broke like glass, leaving only the giant anchor intact.

All eyes turned to Conner, who stared down at his hands in amazement. ‘I know I’m strong, but I’m not that strong.’ He looked up at Klarion, who dodged and weaved through Doctor Fate’s attacks effortlessly. “His attention must not be on the chain: his magic is faltering.”

Kid Flash grumbled again as he stretched out his leg and pulled himself back up. “It’s not magic…” The speedster flashed away in an instant, circling the entire perimeter of their prison before returning in a panic. “Guys, there’s no way out.”

Aqualad stepped forward calmly, pointing to the still intact dome of energy surrounding the gem. “Then we need to get to that. It must be our way home.”

Suddenly, a red streak fell to the ground nearby, crashing like a falling star into the cornfield. Doctor Fate descended to hover just above the ground next to the young heroes, speaking in that harsh yet soothing baritone. “The Atlantean is correct. The gem is what holds this spell together: if we can retrieve it, I can end this chaos.”

Before Aqualad could suggest a plan of attack, however, a red blast of energy sent an unprepared Doctor Fate flying. Klarion exited the cornfield, red fire burning in his palms. “You’re not going anywhere Nabu! I’m taking that helmet, once and for all!”

Doctor Fate corrected his trajectory and zoomed around to face Klarion. “Oh yes? And how will you defeat a Lord of Order?”

Klarion’s smile could not have been more impish if he tried. “Oh yes. This time Nabu, I came prepared.” He snapped his fingers.

Suddenly, an amulet in the shape of a jackal’s head and a golden cloak with a blue gemstone clasp materialized on Klarion’s body. The witch boy drew himself up to a terrible height and closed his eyes, drinking in his mystic might. Doctor Fate, as cautious as always, fired off an ankh blast while his opponent was distracted, but it was for naught.

Klarion shielded himself with a red pentagram, the barrier staying between him and the Lord of Order. No matter how much Doctor Fate poured the power on, the witch boy remained untouchable. In a bout of sheer frustration, the helmet-clad superhero’s eyes glowed bright gold as he channeled the might of magics long thought dead. That is when Klarion struck back.

The witch boy summoned a raging inferno contained just beneath Doctor Fate’s feet, forcing the Lord of Order to pull back his own power to protect himself. Klarion stepped through the white-hot flames, not faltering for a moment as he made his way towards his foe. Doctor Fate dispersed the fire with some difficulty, finding it hard to focus as the heat crept up and up.

Teleporting behind Doctor Fate, Klarion summoned two massive shadow-beasts, larger than anything the heroes had seen from the related cases, to maul his enemy. Turning too slowly, Doctor Fate roared in pain as one of the beasts clamped down on his armored forearm. The other was kept at bay by an ankh conjured up in a spare second, but it quickly became clear that the fight had shifted in Klarion’s favor.

With that, Aqualad began to issue orders. “Kid, Artemis, Robin, Zatanna, go back up Doctor Fate. Arsenal, Wonder Girl, Superboy, with me: we need to get to that gem.” With that, all eight Team members rushed to accomplish their objectives. Kid Flash zoomed at Klarion, only to bounce off an invisible energy barrier and skid away. Artemis and Robin both bit back winces as they fired off explosive after explosive to break through Klarion’s defenses.

The witch boy actually _yawned_ as the explosives detonated around him. He simply floated there impassively, surrounded by fire and smoke. Kid Flash took the opportunity to run in a tight circle below him, creating a wind funnel to disorient the sorcerer. ‘Come on Wall-man, you can do this.’ The faster he ran, the more and more oxygen he sucked out of Klarion’s immediate vicinity.

“Try to breath now, you horned freak!” Said in the heat of the moment, he was ninety percent sure that the plan would work: after all, who doesn’t need oxygen?

Of course, Klarion didn’t: he had already teleported next to the two non-powered heroes, knocking them unconscious with a single flick to their temples. Augmenting his strength with magic seemed like child’s play to him. Kid Flash slid to a halt only to see his friends crumple to the ground. “NO!”

Zatanna whirled around to fire off a spell at the empowered sorcerer but found herself unable to speak at all. Clutching at her throat, the sorceress stared angrily at Klarion, who cackled joyously at his ultimate victory. “Sorry girlie, can’t have you trying to get in my way. I’ve been waiting five thousand years for this.” Another snap left Zatanna trapped in a cage, mute and alone. Just outside the trap lay a statue of a winged angel with a scrap of cloth tied around its mouth.

“ARGH!” Kid Flash slammed into Klarion’s unsuspecting form at near-full speed, the speedster cannonballing into the out of control magician. Zooming away once more in a streak of lightning, Wally had a new fire burning in his eyes. The streak battered Klarion around once, twice, three times, before the witch boy got really mad. In a flash of red light, Kid Flash lifted off the ground, still running but now unable to move at all. He flailed, kicked, and fought, all to no avail.

“Wait your turn kiddies! I have to chat with the good doctor first before meeting you!” Klarion turned only to take an ankh blast directly to the face. A cheer went up from the remaining heroes, but their hope turned to dread as the witch boy showed no signs of being affected by even Doctor Fate’s magic. “Is that the best you have for me Nabu? I’m unimpressed.”

The Lord of Order shattered the last shadow beast with the bright light of an ankh construct. Doctor Fate took a deep breath and summoned what power he had remaining to heal his injuries. Hopefully, he could exploit some weakness or—

A massive energy blast nearly obliterated him, Klarion forgoing cleverness for sheer power. An ankh shielded him from the worst of it, but Doctor Fate felt his decidedly ancient body falter for the first time in two decades. A human thought crossed his mind, a single name: ‘Inza.’

A series of red chains restrained the Lord of Order and forced him to his knees. Struggling only made the situation worse, the chains threatening to crush him alive. Plus, the light was so enticing. ‘I could see her once more…’

Klarion stalked towards his defeated prey, eyes alight with malice. “Finally, after all these millennia, I have you right where I want you. And the best part is, I used your own precious artifacts against you!” Klarion’s form began to shift into something decidedly demonic, his horns growing bigger and his eyes glowing with hellfire. “Now, time to peel off that helmet of yours, doc.”

Before the witch boy could get any closer, he found a solid wall of Kryptonian muscle and bone barring his passage. Superboy stretched his arms out to protect Doctor Fate, his blue eyes alight with… something more powerful than mere fear or anger. In his rage, Klarion stopped to direct his attention to the teen, shifting back to his human form. His voice remained dark and gravelly, like something out of a nightmare. “Move, boy.”

The Kryptonian did not hesitate in his response. “No.” His voice did not waver, he did not tremble in the face of this godlike force. Klarion, his eyes alight with red-hot anger, merely snapped his fingers. “Well then, you leave me no choice.”

* * *

Red rings of magic surrounded Conner, startling him for a second before they flashed into non-existence. As the light dissipated, everyone’s jaws dropped. In the place of the confident teen stood a _child_ with dark hair and blue eyes. The now six-year-old looked up in horror at Klarion, whose menacing grin sent chills down his spine. “Now, kid, get out of my way.”

Doctor Fate, barely clinging to consciousness at this point, muttered something under his breath. “The familiar… is his…” The de-aged Kryptonian turned to listen to the ancient Lord of Order with interest. “What did you say?”

“The cat… Destroy it…” Conner’s blue eyes looked up to find the cat still lounging comfortably inside the barrier. ‘The shield isn’t to protect Klarion. It’s to protect the cat!’

“Guys! Go for the cat!” A bruising backhand knocked Superboy into the dirt, as Klarion’s eyes glowered menacingly. “YOU DARE?”

Aqualad’s team, already well on their way to breaching the barrier, redoubled their efforts, striking at the shield with everything they had. After just seconds, the red-tinged dome cracked, then shattered into nothingness. Inside, the cat simply meowed before turning its ominous gaze to his master. Klarion cackled as he snapped once more, “Go get ‘em Teekl.”

In a moment, the cat grew to the size of a tiger and pounced at Aqualad. His tail whipped around and batted Wonder Girl into the ground, sending a plume of debris high into the air. The twang of Arsenal’s bow drew Teekl away from the defenseless Aqualad, who leapt to his feet to help the archer.

Superboy picked himself up, rubbing his cheek and grumbling. Apparently, he retained his powers despite his age change. ‘Small miracles.’ The miniature Kryptonian looked around at the disarray and chaos surrounding the Team. Aqualad and Arsenal barely held off the giant cat, its giant fangs and powerful muscles providing ample challenge to the two seasoned heroes. Wonder Girl picked herself up slowly, brushing dirt out of her golden locks as she did so. Meanwhile, Robin and Artemis remained still upon the ground, but a cursory check with his super-hearing confirmed that they still breathed in and out.

Thus, Superboy zeroed in on the two heroes who could get into the fight: Zatanna and Kid Flash. Klarion seemed to turn his attention back to Doctor Fate, who remained chained up by the malicious sorcerer. Seeing an opportunity, Superboy flexed his leg muscles, shattering the ground beneath him, and took off. While not nearly as fast as Kid Flash, the Kryptonian still reached his objective before Klarion could even register that he had moved.

Still, the witch boy, his demonic form glowing with raw power, spun around and reached out with his right hand. Superboy cried out as his body was seized by the sorcerer’s magic, his muscles frozen and his bones creaking under the arcane might of Klarion. “You never learn, do you?”

“Actually, I do.” The Kryptonian child unclenched his fist, letting a small scrap of white cloth fall from his hand. The statue of the winged angel had been unmuted: Zatanna’s eyes flared as the enchantment came to an end. Klarion, shocked at Superboy’s actions, was too slow to stop what happened next.

“Kaerb em tuo!” Zatanna’s cage shattered under the power contained in those three words, Klarion’s arrogance giving the young magician the perfect opportunity. Waving her hand towards Kid Flash, still suspended in mid-air, she shouted, “Tel mih nur!” The speedster dropped to the ground, his green eyes crackling with the raw power of the Speed Force. “Woooo hoooo!”

Before Klarion could move a muscle, a bright yellow streak of lightning carried Zatanna towards Teekl, leaving Superboy alone with the vengeful sorcerer. The Kryptonian laughed, his boyish voice grating on the witch boy’s ears. “Looks like you didn’t see that coming.”

With an inhuman roar, Klarion tossed the child into the distance with his magics. Superboy, remembering his training, caught himself on the second bounce and vaulted into a standing position. Brushing himself off, the six-year-old cracked his knuckles and rolled his neck muscles out. “Alright, let’s do this.”

Zooming forward at over a hundred miles per hour, Superboy reached Klarion before he could turn his wrath towards the defenseless Lord of Order. He lowered his shoulder and body-checked the sorcerer, knocking him down much to both his and Klarion’s surprise. Maintaining his focus, however, Superboy lashed out with a kick, catching the witch boy in between the ribs and sending him skipping across the ground.

As Superboy tried desperately to keep Doctor Fate safe, the remaining Team members fought off Teekl, the horrifyingly large cat keeping them busy. The familiar roared and sliced through a net arrow with its claws, Arsenal, swearing under his breath, rolled away and decided to switch to something more lethal. Pointed arrows weren’t usually his weapon of choice, but in this circumstance, he was sure that Oliver would forgive him. ‘Of course, what Ollie never knows won’t hurt him.’

Aqualad sheathed one of his Water Bearers and poured all his might into the other, forming a giant hammer to smash the cat away from Wonder Girl. Much to his chagrin, the ginger cat took the blow in stride, tumbling gracefully away without much of an injury. The Amazon, learning her lessons from before, shot up in a parabolic arc to build up momentum before smashing the familiar into the ground _hard_.

A crater exploded outwards from the point of impact, the resulting dust cloud obscuring the fight between Wonder Girl and Teekl. Kid Flash dropped Zatanna off next to the crater before zooming around and around the lip, picking up speed with each lap. The sorceress noticed the dust cloud lifting up and away from the crater, revealing Teekl standing over Wonder Girl, seemingly ready to deliver the final blow.

“No!” Zatanna felt a blast of wind knock her hair forward, then backwards, in a split second. Wonder Girl materialized next to her, hunched over and coughing. Meanwhile, Teekl found himself batted around by the super-fast hero, unable to defend himself or even see his attacker.

Zatanna’s comlink beeped once. “Zee, you’ve got to deal with this thing.”

“Kid Flash? How are you…”

“Special com unit, courtesy of Team Flash. Listen, whether it’s magic or science, you’re the only person here who can send this cat familiar thing back where it belongs. Hopefully Doctor Fate is right about the rest.” The speedster finally zoomed away from the battlefield as one of Teekl’s counterattacks struck a little too close to home.

“Do it Zatanna!” The speedster’s final words of encouragement washed over her as Zatanna closed her eyes and concentrated. ‘Breathe in, breathe out. Let the words come naturally.’ Her father’s advice echoed in her brain as she began the spell.

“S’ereht on ecalp ekil emoh!” A simple banishment spell probably wouldn’t have worked for someone, or rather something, as powerful as Klarion. But Teekl, the conduit for all of Klarion’s extradimensional power, was highly susceptible to spells targeting otherworldly beings. The cat shrieked in pain before convulsing and shrinking back down to its normal size.

Klarion had by this point gotten up and knocked Superboy around in revenge for his attack. “Do you know what I could do to you? One snap and you’re gone, poof, erased from existence.” A savage snap kick sent Conner flying backwards, landing next to the nearly comatose Doctor Fate. Looking over, the Kryptonian could see the Helmet of Fate glowing brighter than before, channeling its power into its wielder in an effort to keep him alive.

Superboy’s eyes snapped forward to the approaching Klarion, fire in his eyes and red magic swirling around his hands. ‘Boy, would heat vision come in handy right about now.’ Bracing himself for another attack, the Kryptonian found himself shocked as the witch boy turned translucent. Both the amulet and cloak that Klarion wore fell to the ground, kicking up dust as they made impact.

The witch boy clutched his head and shouted demonically, “WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?” A roar, more terrifying than that of any foul creature, reverberated through the pocket dimension. Klarion whirled around to confront the heroes who had brought his familiar down, only to find that his magic wasn’t responding to his commands. He snapped, and snapped, and snapped again, but nothing seemed to happen.

“No, no, no! This isn’t fair!” Fading back into normal existence for the moment, Klarion nevertheless feared for his life as the Team sensed his weakness. What seemed like a storm of arrows flew towards the witch boy as a lightning streak knocked him back a few feet. Deflecting what he could with what little power he still possessed, Klarion knew that his time had come.

_Snap_. Teekl vanished into thin air, confounding everyone present save Klarion and Doctor Fate. Before Klarion could follow his familiar back into the primordial chaos of his home dimension, he turned to shoot Zatanna a glare. “You think you’ve won, but this isn’t the end, kiddies.” His words hung in the air ominously as the witch boy too vanished from sight, entering a blood-red portal back to his home.

The Team had beat the odds: they had prevailed against a threat whose magic was so great as to rival Doctor Fate’s. They would soon discover, however, that their trials were not over.

* * *

Superboy was shocked to find that even with Klarion gone, his enchantment still held. The six-year-old brushed off any surprise he felt at still being trapped in the form of a child and ran over to Doctor Fate, who still found himself imprisoned in unbreakable chains. “Doctor Fate, are you alright?”

The Earth’s premier sorcerer chuckled lightly, coughing a little as he did so. His voice was no longer tinged with that otherworldly quality, just sounding like a tired old man. “Well, I’m not in the best shape of my life right now.” Superboy smiled and attempted to pull off the chains, to no avail.

Doctor Fate, his voice still normal, turned to the Kryptonian and shook his head. “No, the only way I will be free is if the enchantment is brought down.”

By now, the Team had gathered around the captive sorcerer. “I’m sorry, did you just say enchantment?” Kid Flash sighed loudly and clearly, shaking his head in frustration. “What old wives’ tales are we talking about now? Harry Potter and the Case… OW!” Artemis withdrew her elbow from Kid Flash’s stomach, grinning wryly at Zatanna who stood next to her. The sorceress returned the smile briefly but found herself lingering on Doctor Fate’s last words.

“What enchantment? I thought we drove Klarion off,” Zatanna spoke as she kneeled down next to Fate. The Lord of Order turned his mysterious gaze to the young woman, his blue eyes shining with barely restrained power. “Well, young lady, this fractal Klarion has created is suspended in the void, the eternal darkness between realms. Only a being as powerful as Klarion would be able to create such a place, and not indefinitely. I would have to assume that once that gem runs dry, this…”

Zatanna interrupted: “It will all come tumbling down.” Doctor Fate closed his eyes and nodded, trying to conserve his strength. His breathing became increasingly haggard, further evidence of the battering he received at the hands of Klarion. Suddenly, he gasped loudly, falling forward before Superboy caught him and lowered the ancient sorcerer to the ground. “He’s out cold.”

Zatanna hesitantly reached out to touch Fate’s helmet, which hummed with arcane power. A spark lanced out at the sorceress, causing her to pull back. “Ouch! Well, that’s not coming off.”

The entire Team looked to Zatanna as she stood back up. She sighed, “I don’t know how to get us out of here.” Kid Flash zoomed away to check the perimeter again, while Wonder Girl flew up to look for anomalies in the skies above. Arsenal made his way over to the pentagram in the middle of the pocket dimension, prodding the gem still glowing brightly in the center of it. A few sparks of red-colored electricity leapt out from the gem, but otherwise it remained unaffected.

Aqualad walked up to Zatanna’s side, speaking with some degree of hesitation. “Are you saying we’re trapped?”

* * *

ROANOKE ISLAND  
OCTOBER 8, 21:30 EDT  
2020

“What do you mean, they’re missing?” Batman swooped down from the Javelin with his black cape hardened to create an airfoil. A living bolt of lightning coalesced into the familiar form of the Flash, who had been scouting the island in advance of the League contingent. Even running from the nearest Zeta-Tube in Norfolk, the speedster had arrived long before his slow (by his standards) teammates.

“They’re not here, Batman. Their last known location was right on this island, according to Kid Flash’s tracker, but _they’re not here_.” The worry bled into Flash’s voice as his eyes took in everything around him at super speed, his enhanced physiology for once a burden rather than a boon. Zatara touched down next to Batman, the magical disc he used to levitate down to the ground dissipating as he reached solid earth.

“Batman, where is my daughter?” The Dark Knight remained taciturn even as he began to survey the area, looking for signs of the young heroes’ presence. “WHERE IS MY DAUGHTER?” Zatara moved swiftly towards the detective, only to run into a solid mass of muscle clad in red and blue. Superman reached out to gently lay his hand on the distraught magician’s shoulder, his warm embrace calming Zatara for the moment. “I promise you, Giovanni, we will find our children.”

The Kryptonian used every single one of his extrasensory abilities to scan the area, his eyes scouring the earth for clues as his ears listened for even the faintest heartbeat. ‘Nothing. That’s impossible.’ Not even his finely tuned vision could pick up a stray hair, a piece of fabric, which would indicate the proteges had been on the island.

“Batman, I can’t find anything of theirs. Not even skin particles.” The Man of Steel turned to his best friend with a look of concern in his unearthly blue eyes, only to meet the iron resolve still lingering in the eyes of the other hero. “They have to be here somewhere. No one just vanishes like that without an explanation.”

“I’ve got your explanation mate.” Suddenly, a portal snapped open at Batman’s feet. The hero leapt back, a Batarang already in his hand, and barked out a command. “Keep your hands up!”

Constantine chuckled and complied as he stepped out of the portal. A spurt of hellfire backlit the anti-hero, the hole sealing up behind him. “What is it with you hero types and your rush to punch first, ask questions later?” Scowls from every hero assembled was the only response the roguish sorcerer would get. Sighing, the Brit withdrew a cigarette from his pocket and lit it with an old silver lighter he similarly “conjured” up. A puff of smoke obscured his face just for a moment before he continued speaking.

“Alright then, I see I’ll have to carry this conversation.” Another puff of smoke caused Superman to wrinkle his nose in annoyance. “Your heroes are trapped in a fractal, a dimensional fragment that’s decaying fast,” Constantine said as he began to prepare some kind of ritual circle. The magician spread a thin line of black powder in a circle around him, fishing in one of his pockets with his other hand as he did so.

The Flash zoomed back over to the other Leaguers, talking at a million miles a minute. “I should bring in my team then. We have an expert who specializes in interdimensional incursions.” The speedster ran off into the middle distance, stopping some fifty meters away and raising a hand to his earpieces. Constantine gave one quick glance towards the super-fast hero and shook his head. “Like mentor, like protégé I assume. Always so quick to turn to science when a problem so clearly aligned with the mystic arts comes up.”

Batman’s shadow darkened Constantine’s work, forcing the poor sorcerer to look up into the terrifying eyes of the Dark Knight. To his credit, the Brit didn’t even waver in his work, pinches of enchanted salts and magical elixirs adding to the ritual circle bit by bit. “You need something, mate?”

“Just what are you doing here, Constantine?” John paused ever so slightly, his hands trembling at the thought of Batman keeping tabs on him. Continuing his work, he nonchalantly asked, “So you’ve been keeping up with me Batsie?” Somehow, Batman’s scowl became even more pronounced.

Constantine tried to cloak his fear as best he could, but both him and Batman knew just how terrifying the vigilante could be. For his own sake, the magician replied, “I helped your team find this place. Only fair that I help them out.” With that, the circle was complete: a line of black powder blending in with the dirt, speckled with white, red and gold.

Flash zoomed back over, taking care not to disturb the circle. “Vibe is trying to get a lock on Kid Flash, but he’s having some trouble. I don’t know how long it will take.”

“Doesn’t matter. The fractal will decay long before your buddy finds them,” said Constantine as he flicked open his lighter. “I can get in and help them find their way back.” Batman and Flash exchanged a look, their years of shared experience screaming in their faces not to trust this strange man. However, it seemed like they had no choice: for the sake of their protégés, they would work with Constantine.

“Do it,” Batman’s voice echoing calmly in the night sky. The magician nodded and exchanged a glance with Zatara before starting. Muttering once again in Aramaic, Constantine sat in a lotus position and drew the fire from the lighter into his _bare_ hand. The tiny flicker soon grew into a healthy flame as the Englishman’s magic acted as its fuel. Flicking his hand downward, Constantine sent the flame into the ritual circle around him, all the while chanting. As the flames grew around him, he shut his eyes, muttering the last of the necessary incantations and thinking a silent prayer. ‘Angels and ministers of grace defend us…’

* * *

Constantine’s eyes flashed open once more to find a very different scene. The flaming ritual circle was nowhere to be found, and the environment shifted from the sleepy Outer Banks to something out of a nightmare. Already the British magician could see the cracks forming in this reality, only meant to be a temporary refuge in the utter chaos of interdimensional space. ‘It won’t be long now.’ Thus, the astral projection set out to find the young heroes, stepping out of the imaginary circle in search of his newfound acquaintances.

“Constantine!” An irate and desperate speedster nearly careened into the man, who calmly stepped out of the way to allow Kid Flash to pass. Whirling around, KF rattled off a list of questions with lightning speed. “How did you get here? Where exactly are we? Does the League know where we are? How come—”

The sorcerer sighed and continued walking towards the larger group, who had all gravitated over to the glowing gem still set in the ground. “I see you lot managed to get yourselves into some trouble.” Constantine’s eyes widened as he saw the unconscious Lord of Order resting in Aqualad’s arms. “Is that…”

“Doctor Fate himself.” Zatanna turned to answer Constantine, her blue eyes alight with trepidation. She continued, “How are you even here?”

The roguish magician chuckled and reached out to touch Zatanna’s shoulder, only for his form to dissipate upon contact. “Astral projection love. My physical form is still in our home universe, I’m afraid.” Superboy groaned, then scowled at the sound of his childish voice. Nevertheless, he spoke directly to the British sorcerer. “So you can’t help us then?”

Much to his credit, Constantine remained serious despite the objective hilarious sight of a pint-sized Kryptonian clone glaring at him. “I never said I couldn’t help mate. Just that it’ll be a bit more indirect than you might’ve hoped.” The sorcerer walked over to the gem, studying it briefly before smiling. “Lucky for you lot, I’ve seen this trick before. Simple spell should reverse it. Zatanna, would you like to do the honors?”

Zatanna shook her head in defeat. “I don’t think it’ll be that simple. The guy who did this, Klarion, was throwing around some serious power. I’m not even as strong as my dad.” The sorceress shrunk back into herself, her doubts and fears etched onto her face. The British sorcerer opened his mouth to speak, but Wonder Girl beat him to the (metaphorical for once) punch.

“You just banished a Lord of Chaos back into his own realm. You’re plenty powerful Zatanna. I believe in you.” Zatanna tried to respond but was cut off by Artemis. “Yeah, we would have been toast if it wasn’t for you.”

Aqualad and the other members of the Team nodded in solemn agreement, letting Zatanna know that she had their trust. The sorceress, at a loss for words, locked eyes with Robin, whose grin lit up the darkening atmosphere. “Go get ‘em Zee.”

Closing her eyes and breathing in, Zatanna took a second to think. ‘Just let it flow.’ Her father’s words rushed through her mind, giving her strength and hope in the face of impending doom. ‘If I don’t do this, everyone here is dead. I can’t – I won’t – let them down.’

When her eyes flashed open again, they glowed white with arcane power. The wind picked up ever so slightly as the young magician opened her mouth to speak. “Meg emoc ot em!” Slowly, the glowing golden gem in the center of the pentagram levitated over to her waiting hands. Ignoring the slight pain from the magic now coursing through her veins, Zatanna continued to channel her power into the gem.

“Siht meg speek trapa owt smlaer!” The gem began to crack under the weight of Zatanna’s magic, but still pulsed brightly with the dark power keeping the fractal stable. The wind howled, powerful gusts sending dust into the eyes of the assembled heroes. Only the astral projection of Constantine kept his “eyes” focused on Zatanna, unaffected by the change in the physical environment. ‘Atta girl.’

Zatanna’s eyebrows scrunched together, white energy now visibly pouring from her hands into the gem. The golden focal point shuddered with each wave of energy, but still maintained its form. With a final scream, Zatanna ended it all. “Yam eht emoceb eno ecno erom!”

The gem shattered, an immense wave of energy emanating out in all directions. Zatanna disappeared in a flash of white light, shocking the rest of the Team who instinctively shielded themselves from the blast. Nevertheless, as the magic washed over them, one by one they blipped away. Kid Flash was the last to vanish, having been scouting the perimeter as the spell came undone. “Oh hell…” He brought his arms up to shield his face, but it was for naught.

* * *

ROANOKE ISLAND  
OCTOBER 8, 21:37 EDT  
2020

The young speedster opened his eyes slowly, lowering his arms to reveal a world set right. The sky, while still dark, was now filled with the pinpricks of distant stars. The moon shone brightly, and Kid Flash could once again hear the distant sounds of the ocean. Letting out a breath he didn’t even know he had been holding, the teenager soon felt a familiar set of arms embracing him. “I was so worried about you.” A part of Wally wanted to push his mentor away, wanting to be his own man, but for now he just let the older speedster comfort him. After the horrors he had just seen, he needed it.

Superman had flown directly to his clone and son, still somehow de-aged even after the fractal dimension had collapsed. The elder Kryptonian hesitated for a moment before laying a firm hand on Conner’s shoulder. “So, it seems you finally look your age.” Superman back-pedaled in response to the glare Superboy sent him. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to insult. I—”

“Enough.” Batman silenced the strongest being on Earth with a single word. Stepping forward, the Dark Knight sized up the miniaturized Kryptonian in front of him. “Some kind of magic?”

Superboy nodded solemnly, looking down at his child body with dismay. Batman sighed and looked over to Zatara, who also took interest in the de-aged clone. “Zatara, can you reverse this?” The elder magician hemmed and hawed, before finally speaking, “I can try.”

Clapping and rubbing his hands together, the Italian-born sorcerer muttered his spell to himself, practicing it twice before speaking it aloud. “Nruter eht yob ot sih reporp ega!” The air thrummed with the now familiar power of magic, but Superboy remained as he was before. Zatara’s brow furrowed as he tried another spell. “Lepxe siht yrecros!” Still, nothing happened.

A calm yet powerful voice sounded through the cool night air. “Allow me.” The young Kryptonian found himself bathed in a golden mist, obscuring him from sight for just a moment. Behind him, Doctor Fate, now healed from his battle, made a few simple hand gestures before lifting the mist from Superboy. As the golden vapor floated away, the younger Kryptonian grinned as he examined his now restored form. Turning to the Lord of Order, who now stood regally away from the grouping of heroes, Conner spoke with great reverence: “Thank you.”

Doctor Fate nodded solemnly and turned to leave, only to be stopped by a flash of yellow. The younger speedster’s eyes narrowed as he spoke. “I have just one question: why did you come to help us now? Why not when Wotan attacked the League the last half a dozen times?”

Hidden behind the Helmet of Fate, the sorcerer’s expression remained unseen, but the most powerful magician on the planet brooked no argument with his answer. “Because Klarion is no mere sorcerer. He is a Lord of Chaos: he cannot be destroyed, he cannot be beaten. As long as he threatens this planet, I am the last line of defense for this realm and all its inhabitants.”

Batman now spoke, stepping carefully towards the former Justice Society member. “Then join us. Help us fight threats like him.” Doctor Fate turned, his eyes narrowing as he examined Batman and the assembled group of heroes in turn. After seconds of utter silence, the sorcerer had little to say. “No. I thank the young heroes for their help in defeating Klarion, but I require no assistance now that my artifacts are now in my possession.” In a flash of light, the Amulet of Anubis and the Cloak of Destiny appeared on his body.

Doctor Fate turned once more to Kid Flash, his blue eyes boring into the speedster’s very soul. To his credit, Wally did not flinch. “Just remember: if you need help, I will be there. For I am Nabu, and this realm is under my protection.” A golden ankh consumed the Lord of Order where it stood, flashing away as soon as Doctor Fate had transported away.

Flash ran up to his protégé who continued to stare at the spot where Doctor Fate had just stood. “So now do you believe?” Wally’s eyes lifted to find Artemis, standing off in the distance, calmly awaiting his answer. Her gray eyes, alight with both amusement and curiosity, spurred him to answer. “Well, something spooky certainly happened.”

The entire Team groaned at the answer.

* * *

KEYSTONE CITY  
OCTOBER 10, 22:48 CDT  
2020

Hidden deep in the bowels of Mercury Labs, a lumbering brute of a man clenched the top of a swivel chair in his meaty hands. His face, tanned from millennia under the sun, was marred with three pale scars stretching diagonally from his brow to just beneath his lips. His eyes, a simple brown, stared with malice at the chair held in his grasp: the seat was still stained a copperish brown, with stitching helping to hide the dark deed committed in the room just weeks before.

The man remembered watching through the screen as the assassin slid the sword through the unsuspecting scientist. ‘She is lucky that it was a quick death. Punishment should not be so lightly handed down.’ Unfortunately, some of his colleagues did not have his unique perspective gained from such a long life, and as such they often advocated more lenient solutions to difficult issues. In regard to the Velocity project, however, death had been the most merciful solution.

Growling at the thought of Doctor Harmon’s failure, Vandal Savage violently pushed the chair away. Even after all this time, the human race continually disappointed him with their weakness and lack of vision. ‘Our plans continue on. No matter the cost.’

Whirling to a lab technician still cowering in the corner, the long-lived caveman barked out an order. “Start the conference.”

The young man, barely holding in his tears, punched a few commands into a nearby computer and waited for further orders. “Now get out.” Whimpering, the tech ran out of the door and as far from the rage-filled supervillain as he possibly could. ‘Simpering fools, all of them.’

In the shadows of the room, Merlyn held back a smile. No matter how much training he went through, his sense of humor, a rather dark one, would never quite be crushed. Vandal Savage turned to the corner where the assassin hid in the darkness. “Silence, assassin.”

Inwardly cursing the caveman’s enhanced senses, the veteran archer turned his attention to the screens in the room, which slowly came online. Bathing the room in bright white light, the members of the Light took their place for the upcoming briefing. Vandal Savage stood proudly in front of his compatriots, his broad shoulders squared and his brown eyes gleaming with malice.

L-2 was the first to speak, starting the conversation on a lighter topic. “Ah, my friend, you look well. Is al-Sahir treating you well?” The caveman’s lips curled upward in some mix of snarl and smile which terrified the waiting Merlyn. “Yes, your archer has provided such excellent security.”

L-7, impatient as always, cut into the conversation. “Can you losers hurry this up?” Vandal turned his now malevolent gaze to the last screen in the sequence, his smile forgotten. “My apologies, I wouldn’t want to waste your precious time.” L-7 grumbled a bit but wouldn’t speak out again.

L-4 chuckled, her mellifluous voice calming the nerves of the assembled villains. “Gentlemen, please, let us not fight on this momentous occasion.” L-3 assented to L-4’s suggestion, speaking in the calm voice that had won him a multinational corporation. “Yes, let us listen to her Majesty. Today is the culmination of so many years of work.”

Vandal Savage, still scowling, turned his attention back to the larger group. “Indeed. Today, we celebrate the beginning of our ascension.”

L-2 beckoned to his finest archer, summoning him out of the shadows. “al-Sahir, has the breach team been sufficiently motivated?” The assassin merely nodded, his silence taken as affirmation by his master.

Vandal Savage looked to the first screen in the room, which normally displayed his disguised image, but now showed an underground laboratory. A dozen scientists in white lab coats and safety googles scurried back and forth, adjusting equipment and preparing for the upcoming event. At the center of the room sat a large cell, with a large window made of carbine facing the camera. Inside the cell was a simple bed and toilet, along with two scientists setting down small glowing red dots on the ground in a circle.

“Is the device almost ready, my friend?” Vandal Savage responded to L-2’s question without looking at him. “Yes, Doctor McGee assures me that the breach will open tonight.”

Without further ado, the scientists backed out of the room, sealing the cell and returning to the minimum safe distance. Vandal crossed his arms and grunted, silently wishing that the test would begin already.

As if bidden by the caveman’s thoughts, the timid voice of Jason Rusch echoed through the speakers. “Powering up breach.” The hum of electronics increased to a dull roar, the lab now seemingly shaking as power coursed into hidden emitters within the cell. “Alright, emitters now at a hundred percent charge. Opening breach… now.”

The air above the red dots shimmered, then convulsed, and finally ripped open. A blue blob of plasma served as the rim of this tear in reality itself, constantly pulsing and writhing in mid-air as the universe itself struggled to close this portal. A flash of red lightning jumped out from the breach, bringing a smile to the caveman’s face. ‘He’s coming.’

Another bolt of lightning leapt out, followed closely by a yellow blur. “Subject has arrived. Shutting the breach now.” The breach pulsed once more with blue light before snapping shut with a hiss of tachyons and other unknown particles. The blur collapsed to the ground, no longer vibrating at high speeds.

Vandal Savage clapped once. “Excellent. Project Mercury is a success.”

In the cell, the man in yellow stirred, his eyes fluttering open for the first time in five years. Finally, he had returned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there you have it: the end of the second section of Young Justice: The Heroic Age! Now that the Team has a new member, we’ll be seeing a lot more of Zatanna going forward.
> 
> So, I wanted to adjust Doctor Fate and Klarion’s introduction to the Young Justice saga to accomplish two things: one, to introduce Zatanna in a more magic-oriented manner, and two, to show Doctor Fate’s altered history. In case you couldn’t tell, Kent Nelson is still Doctor Fate: he is being sustained by his own magic and Nabu’s own divine-level power.
> 
> Also, the villain of the next arc is finally revealed! Project Mercury has succeeded, and the Light now has a secret weapon! What will they do with such power? Stay tuned to find out!
> 
> As always, thanks for reading!
> 
> P.S.: Don’t always expect such long chapters. I just got carried away on this one!


End file.
